Luka tossed after bantering with fan: 'I don't really understand'

The Oklahoma City Thunder's 136-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers was overshadowed by Luka Doncic's stunning ejection midway through the fourth quarter.

After making a basket, Doncic was exchanging words courtside with Thunder fan Jeremy Price when referee J.T. Orr stepped in and assessed the Lakers star his second technical foul of the contest.

"That had nothing to do with the ref, so I don't really understand," Doncic told reporters postgame, including The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

Price backed up Doncic's claim that the two were just talking trash with one another.

"During the game within the game, I mentioned that he was short and he missed it and he turned around and he shot an explicative (sic) back. And J.T. happened to see it, and (at) that point, T'd him up," Price told ESPN's Dave McMenamin postgame.

Crew chief Tony Brothers interpreted it a different way.

Brothers told pool reporter Cliff Brunt of The Associated Press after the contest that Doncic "looked directly" at an official and used "vulgar language," according to Buha.

Lakers big man Jarred Vanderbilt said the technical fouls on Doncic seemed "personal" and added that Orr said he'd talk to anybody on the Lakers "but Luka" after giving the five-time All-Star his first technical foul, according to McMenamin.

Doncic had 23 points at the time of his exit, and his last bucket put the Lakers up 108-107 with 7:42 play.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder took control from there, outscoring Los Angeles 29-12 the rest of the way.

"It was a tough. We were right there after we fought the whole game. We were down eight at halftime," Doncic said. "We came back in the third quarter. We were fighting. So it was tough to see that. ... This kind of situation happened. That's on me, too. I can't let my team down like that."