Former NBA Star Blasts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for ‘Dirty Maneuver’ on Lakers’ Austin Reaves

The Lakers are already down 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and after Game 2, they now have another reason to be upset. A single play in the third quarter had the basketball world talking.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed Austin Reaves' arm and twisted it while the two were battling for position off the ball early in the third quarter. Reaves went down in pain, and after a review, the officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1. It was the first flagrant foul of Gilgeous-Alexander's 582-game career.

To make it worse, OKC actually challenged the original call, which triggered the review. The challenge failed, and instead of getting it reversed, they ended up with a worse outcome. Reaves stayed in the game and finished with 31 points, but the Thunder still won 125-107 to go up 2-0.

Former NBA player Eddie Johnson took to X to share his reaction, and he did not hold back. Johnson, who spent 17 seasons in the league and won the 1989 Sixth Man of the Year Award with the Phoenix Suns, made sure to clarify upfront that he was not coming from a place of bias.

"This was a flagrant 2 and I am a SGA supporter. Flat out dirty maneuver. He could have dislocated Reeves elbow. I know. I got my shoulder dislocated on this same kind of play."

This was a flagrant 2 and I am a SGA supporter. Flat out dirty maneuver. He could have dislocated Reeves elbow. I know. I got my shoulder dislocated on this same kind of play. https://t.co/1Dx0MqfGo5
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) May 8, 2026

Johnson played close to 1,200 NBA games. He has been on the receiving end of a play like that, which is exactly why his words carried more weight than the average hot take.

Lakers Are Running Out of Answers With Luka Doncic Sidelined

On top of everything, the Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, who has been out since April 2 with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Doncic himself told reporters this week that his doctor gave him an eight-week recovery timeline from the start, which effectively rules him out for this series.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst already said that the Lakers have already accepted he is not coming back to rescue them.

And if that was not enough, the SGA flagrant foul added another layer of frustration to an already difficult night for Los Angeles. Some fans felt Gilgeous-Alexander has been gaming officials all season, so getting called for something like this felt overdue. Others thought Reaves initiated the contact by grabbing SGA from behind, which forced the reaction. Both arguments have some merit when you watch the clip.

As for discipline, Flagrant 1 fouls do not carry automatic punishment after the game. The NBA can review it further, but there is no suspension or fine without a second assessment. Gilgeous-Alexander still finished with 22 points on the night.

With the series heading back to Los Angeles for Game 3, the Lakers need answers on both ends of the floor. Game 3 back in Los Angeles is not a must-win yet, but it is pretty close to one.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google