The Milwaukee Bucks visit to Staples Center got surprisingly chippy for a game where one of the teams is actively working to hold on to its top three pick (which is the kind way of saying “tanking”).
It came to a head late in the third quarter. After a steal, the Lakers were on a 4-on-1 break when Malcolm Brogdon went for the hard foul on Nick Young to prevent the bucket. Young did not appreciate it and shoved Brogdon — then Greg Monroe comes flying in as the third man in to protect Brogdon and goes after Young. Then D’Angelo Russell comes in hard at Monroe, and there is some pushing that never moves beyond this.
In the end, Young got a technical, his second of the night so he was ejected. Monroe and Russell each got double technicals for jumping in, and they were ejected. They will also get healthy fines from the league for this.
The Bucks held on to get the 107-103 win, helping them feel a little more secure in the chase for a playoff spot in the East. And the Lakers got the loss, making them feel a little more secure in keeping their top-three protected pick.