Lakers' Deandre Ayton Ejected for Flagrant 2 Foul on Rockets' Alperen Sengun in NBA Playoffs Game 4

The Los Angeles Lakers had to finish Sunday's 115-96 Game 4 loss of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets without a key player.

Deandre Ayton was ejected in the third quarter following a flagrant 2 he was called for when he hit Alperen Şengün in the face with his forearm.

Ayton let it be known after the game that he's not a "dirty" player:

After the game, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said he thought it "looked intentional" but admitted he was "surprised" that Ayton was given a flagrant 2 foul.

Lakers coach JJ Redick, meanwhile, says he doesn't think Ayton would do anything "malicious."

Los Angeles' Adou Thiero and Houston's Aaron Holiday were both later ejected after a brief scuffle late in the fourth quarter.

Ayton was in the midst of his best game of the series so far as he had 19 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-12 from the field at the time of the ejection, which was the first of his career.

He was really the only Laker who was playing well at the time of his ejection, as star LeBron James was having an off night after carrying Los Angeles through the first three games of the series.

The Lakers were already without two of their stars as Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have both missed the entire series thus far.

Redick offered an update on Dončić before the game, but was still unable to give a definitive timeline.

"He just continues to kind of do some stuff on the court. Was able to move a little bit today on the court, which you know, most of the stuff has been standstill," Redick told reporters. "So he's progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that."

The good news for the Lakers is that they came into Game 4 leading the series 3-0, and the odds of the Rockets completing a comeback, especially with Kevin Durant potentially out for the rest of the series, are low.