Friday's Game 3 between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers was testy from the jump, and it was only a matter of time until things came to a boil. That's exactly what happened midway through the fourth quarter of Dallas' 101-90 win, when Clippers guard Russell Westbrook and Mavericks forward PJ Washington were both ejected following Westbrook's hard foul on Luka Doncic.
With just over six minutes left in the game and the Clippers trailing by 16 points, Westbrook grabbed Doncic as he drove past him, causing Doncic to spin out of control. Doncic then approached Westbrook, which prompted the Clippers guard to push him out of the way. Washington entered the fray, pushing Westbrook from behind, which led to Westbrook shoving a hard left hand into Washington's chest. Westbrook also attempted to shove away one of the officials as he was being restrained.
Russell Westbrook going at it with Luka Doncic and PJ Washington pic.twitter.com/hatWxTVi8Z
— Beastbrook (@Beastbr00k0) April 27, 2024
Westbrook received two technical fouls for his actions, grounds for an automatic ejection, while Washington also received a technical foul -- his second of the game -- so he was tossed as well.
The skirmish came in the aftermath of a flagrant foul by Westbrook in the second quarter, in which he struck Mavericks forward Josh Green in the head during a dunk attempt.
Russell Westbrook has been charged with a flagrant foul on Josh Green. #MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/rsMbvXcwti
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) April 27, 2024
After the foul, Westbrook appeared to scream obscenities at the America Airlines Center crowd.
The league will likely review both the flagrant foul and the situation that led to Westbrook's ejection, potentially issuing further fines and/or suspensions if deemed necessary.
Westbrook was in the middle of a horrendous offensive performance at the time of his ejection, scoring just one point on 0-for-7 shooting. He added two blocks and a steal defensively, while pulling down three rebounds and dishing out one assist. Doncic led the Mavericks with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Washington contributed 10 points, five rebounds and three steals.
The Mavericks will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in Sunday's Game 4, and there's at least a slight possibility that Westbrook may be prohibited from taking part in it.
