The same teams, the usual suspects, the same old problems. At a time when the likes of Jaylen Brown is evading fines for using ‘flopping’ and ‘OKC’ in the same sentence, the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder is leaving both fans and announcers frustrated. After the way Game 1 went, the physical chess match between the Lakers and OKC bigs took a controversial turn in the first quarter of Game 2 on Thursday night. It was enough to trigger Stan Van Gundy’s notorious sarcasm.

With 4:06 remaining in the opening period and the Lakers trailing 16–13, a pivotal officiating moment sparked a fiery response from the broadcast booth. Thunder center Chet Holmgren was accused of an Oscar-worthy performance by the legendary coach-turned-commentator and his colleague after a collision with Deandre Ayton resulted in a whistle that initially went against the Lakers.

The sequence began when Ayton and Holmgren battled under the rim. DA shoved him but Chet fell to the floor clutching his face. By announcers’ and social media’s observations, the shove wasn’t bad enough or anywhere near Holmgren’s face. Yet Ayton was called for an offensive foul after Holmgren looked like he had sustained a significant blow.

SVG is already not a fan of OKC’s foulbaiting notoriety and he had all the opportunity and platform to call it out this time. “That’s an absolute flop. I hope they don’t give him this call, because we need to get rid of the flops, and the way to do it is to not give guys calls.”

His broadcasting partner, Ian Eagle agreed with a touch of wit to the critique. “I’ve seen Chet in a number of commercials, and there is acting ability. Well, yeah, I’ll tell you what, he showed it right there.”

We didn’t think Chet Holmgren’s AT&T commercials would be used against him like that but the announcers made their point. Even Jaylen Brown hinted that OKC gets rewarded for flopping while he got fined $50,000 for saying it. The Lakers’ challenge was successful as SVG wanted. Referee John Goble announced that the replay showed Holmgren grabbing Ayton’s right arm with both hands prior to any contact near the face, resulting in the on-court ruling being overturned to a defensive foul on Holmgren.

As soon as the verdict was announced, Van Gundy made his thoughts clear. “Well, I’m glad they got that call right and didn’t give him the call,” Van Gundy concluded. “The only thing I’d argue with, there was no contact to the face at any point, ever.” And you know what, most of social media agrees with SVG’s review here too.

Deandre Ayton and Chet Holmgren had already declared a physical series

This early friction highlights the immense pressure on Deandre Ayton to anchor the Lakers’ frontcourt in this second-round series. JJ Redick has been vocal about Ayton’s importance, stating, “He’s the person that changes our ceiling the most.”

After a Game 1 performance where Ayton recorded a game-high-tying 12 rebounds but struggled with foul trouble in the second half, the Lakers are desperate for him to dominate his role. Ayton was integral to the Lakers’ first-round success against Houston, where he averaged a double-double and outplayed Alperen Sengun. But the challenge of facing a shot-blocker like Holmgren requires a higher level of discipline analysts were demanding of Ayton.

Before the series began, both players acknowledged the weight of this matchup. Holmgren praised Ayton’s strength, noting, “When he gets the ball down low, he’s a big guy, strong guy, and he can finish well, so just got to make everything challenging.” Ayton, meanwhile, emphasized his responsibility as the last line of defense. “It’s going to be big with me protecting that paint this series,” Ayton said. “Them having 50-plus points in the paint—they’re a really unstoppable team.”

For the Lakers to even the series, they need the Ayton that showed up in the first-round clincher or the Game 1 opening run. They need the first round draft pick to be active, flying around, and owning the boards.

As the “acting job” by Holmgren suggests, the Thunder are willing to use every tool in their arsenal to disrupt Ayton’s rhythm, the Lakers’ success hinges on their big man remaining physical without falling into the traps of OKC’s rim protectors. And also ensuring he stays on the floor to combat Holmgren’s offensive versatility.

 

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