Los Angeles Lakers | Fines for Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard for criticizing referees

The NBA has sanctioned two players from the Los Angeles Lakers following the events in the fourth game of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, played on Sunday.

The league announced on Monday that Marcus Smart was fined $35,000 for "questioning the integrity of the referees," while Luke Kennard was fined $25,000 for "directing inappropriate language towards the referees."

Smart's comments came after the Game 4 defeat in a best-of-seven series that the Lakers lead 3-1. The guard criticized Deandre Ayton's ejection, which occurred in the middle of the third quarter when the referees called a Flagrant 2 foul after an elbow on Alperen Sengun.

Smart and Kennard's Outbursts

"That's how we feel," explained Smart after the game. "He was just trying to protect himself. They are two players giving their all on the court, the arm slips, right? But we are proud of how he handled it, and that says a lot about who he is and his progression."

On the other hand, Kennard was fined after being involved in a verbal exchange after the game between players from both teams.

"Hilarious, very hilarious," Smart commented on what happened after the game.

The fifth game of the series between the Lakers and Rockets will take place on Wednesday night into Thursday at 2:00 a.m. Spanish time at the Crypto.com Arena.