Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected in the second quarter of Monday night’s game against the Houston Rockets due to physical contact with Rockets forward Dillon Brooks. This incident resulted in a pair of technical fouls and Vanderbilt’s eventual ejection.

 

The sequence began after Austin Reaves made a jumper, narrowing the Lakers’ deficit to 44-34 with 10:36 remaining in the second quarter. Following the shot, Vanderbilt received his first technical foul for shoving Brooks, who had nudged him with his right hand under the basket. Moments later, Vanderbilt earned his second technical by tapping the back of Brooks’ ear as he walked away, leading to his ejection from the game.

 

Vanderbilt’s frustration with Brooks seemed to stem from an earlier play in which Brooks pushed him in the back during a midair dunk attempt, causing Vanderbilt to land awkwardly on the floor. Despite Brooks’ foul being reviewed, it was ruled a common foul, not a flagrant foul.

 

Vanderbilt, who had been a focal point of discussion after a standout performance in the Lakers’ previous game against the Golden State Warriors, played just seven minutes in Monday’s game, finishing with three points.

 

Before the ejection, Vanderbilt had been averaging 11.8 points (63.9% shooting), 6.4 rebounds (including two offensive rebounds), and 2.4 steals over the previous five games, making him a notable contributor for the Lakers.