The NBA has announced that it is imposing fines on two Lakers players, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, for their conduct towards officials following the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Rockets in their first-round playoff series.
The following statement was released by the NBA upon coming to this decision:
“Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for questioning the integrity of game officials, and Lakers guard Luke Kennard has been fined $25,000 for directing inappropriate language toward game officials, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.
“The incidents occurred following the conclusion of the Houston Rockets’ 115-96 victory over the Lakers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on April 26 at Toyota Center.”
There was visible tension on the court following the Rockets’ 115-96 win over the Lakers. Several Lakers players, including Smart and Kennard, approached the officials to exchange words about their officiating decisions tonight.
This was also caught on video, where Marcus Smart can clearly be seen being extremely vocal and animated about his disapproval of the officials.
Rockets acting all tough after winning a game… yeah let’s blow these mf’s out on Wednesday 😈 pic.twitter.com/V0W9AMNHT9
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) April 27, 2026
Following the game, Marcus Smart was asked what he thought about Deandre Ayton’s controversial ejection, where he called out the officials for being “on some BS.”
“We all understood it was some BS, right? That’s what we felt, you know. He was just trying to brace himself. Two guys who were sweating their b—-s off playing the game, his arm slipped up, right?” said Smart at his postgame press conference.
“But we’re proud of the way he handled it. And, I think that just speaks volumes about who he is and his progression, right? He’s learning. He could have easily, and it probably would have been justifiable if he went off, right? But, to keep his composure and stay positive, I think that’s only going to help him and this team.”
It is a bit surprising that LeBron James has not been fined, since even he was vocal about his criticism of the officials after the game. But it seems the NBA has limited its investigation to players directly involved in the incident at the end of the game.
Luke Kennard was initially on the bench when this exchange began and only approached the crowd near the scoring table after the game was over. He apparently made a comment in passing that has come to the attention of the officials.
“You f—–g s–k!” he seemingly said to the officials that earned him this fine.
🚨 This is where Luke Kennard picked up his fine after the game last night
He told the ref “you f*cking suck” and had to be held back by Jarred Vanderbilt
(Via: @TT11986) pic.twitter.com/wMG5HRTv9L
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) April 28, 2026
Smart also addressed the back-and-forth with the Rockets players and officials at the end of the game and called it “hilarious” because the Rockets were apparently trash-talking while trying to come back from a deficit that no team has ever come back from in the NBA’s history.
Both these Lakers players, who were catalysts in the franchise taking an early 3-0 lead in the series, struggled to find any offensive rhythm last night. Smart still managed to stuff the box score and finished the game with nine points, five assists, three steals, three blocks, and two rebounds while shooting 3-8 from the floor (37.5 FG%).
Meanwhile, Luke Kennard ended up with seven points, three rebounds, and two assists while shooting 3-8 from the floor (37.5 FG%) and missing all three of his three-point shot attempts. The Lakers are now headed back to Los Angeles and will look to close out this series at home in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
