Ja Morant plans appeal after flopping call in Portland win over Lakers

Ja Morant plans to challenge the technical foul he received for flopping during the Portland Trail Blazers' 136-129 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in Los Angeles. His penalty was one of three flopping calls made in the closing six minutes of a game in which the teams combined for 71 free throws.

Portland forward Toumani Camara and Lakers forward Ziaire Williams also received technical fouls for flopping during that stretch. The late calls prompted criticism from the Trail Blazers, who questioned both the frequency of the penalties and the standard being applied as the teams fought for the lead.

Morant's technical came in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, with Portland ahead 121-120. While guarding Austin Reaves on a drive toward the paint, Morant took contact to his chest and moved backward with his arms raised. He disputed that his reaction warranted a flopping penalty, pointing out that he had remained on his feet.

Morant, who scored a season-high 23 points, said he intended to appeal and believed the fine was about $2,000. He described his movement as a response to the contact, saying he had raised his hands and continued backward after the bump rather than falling to the floor.

The guard said Portland had adjusted its defense in response to the way fouls were being called earlier in the game. According to Morant, most of the Lakers' free throws had come from drives. Portland's players were trying to keep their hands visible and absorb contact through the chest to demonstrate that the offensive player had initiated it. He credited his team with maintaining its energy after the technical and finishing the win.

Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori questioned the concentration of flopping calls, citing what he said were only 27 such calls across 2,000 games last year. He also highlighted the 71 free throws and the game's length, remarking that the finish had nearly reached 2 a.m. on the East Coast.

Damian Lillard, who contributed 21 points and helped secure the result with a late 3-pointer, said officials were "forcing" flopping technicals. He acknowledged that players exaggerate contact during NBA games but argued that a significant flop should be required for a call when the outcome is still being decided.

Lillard singled out Morant's penalty at the end of a possession, questioning the decision during a back-and-forth, one-possession contest. Although he understood that flopping was a point of emphasis, he said the repeated calls had surprised him.