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The Los Angeles Lakers absorbed their first defeat of the 2026-27 campaign on Tuesday, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers by a score of 136-129. While the Lakers' defense struggled throughout the contest, their offense remained potent, and they currently hold the league's No. 2 offensive rating at 126.7, trailing only the Blazers, who sit atop the rankings after the first week of play.
The game itself was an offensive showcase and one of the more exciting matchups of the early season. However, the two teams also etched their names into the NBA record books in an unusual manner.
Historic Technical Foul Tally
Los Angeles and Portland were whistled for a combined seven non-unsportsmanlike technical fouls: four for defensive 3-seconds violations and three for flopping. According to Ramiro Bentes, that marks the most non-unsportsmanlike technicals in any NBA game since the 2001-02 season. The three flopping calls—assessed to Blazers guard Ja Morant, Blazers forward Toumani Camara, and Lakers forward Ziaire Williams—set a single-game record since flopping became a technical foul in 2023-24. All three calls occurred within the final six minutes of the game.
Following the contest, Portland head coach Micah Nori praised the NBA for emphasizing flopping as a point of emphasis. "Good job by the NBA," Nori said. "Point of emphasis. Great job. There were [71] free throws. We almost got past 2 a.m. on the East Coast for the [end of the] game. Sorry to keep you all here so long." The two teams combined for 71 free-throw attempts, with Portland accounting for 41 of them.
Williams' Flopping History
Williams was recently fined $2,000 for flopping in Sunday's game against the Utah Jazz. Before Tuesday's matchup, he acknowledged his willingness to do whatever it takes to secure a win. "If I got to flop again to get a win, then that's what I'll do," Williams said. "Do I agree with it? Not necessarily. But I mean, it's the league's rule, so whatever they say, that's how it goes." The NBA's anti-flopping rule includes both in-game penalties and post-game reviews, with fines starting at $2,000 for a first offense and escalating to potential suspensions for repeat offenders. Williams could face another fine following Tuesday's call.