NBA Makes Flagrant Foul Decision After Lakers-Rockets Game 6

After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets got more disappointing news.

LeBron James and the Purple and Gold eliminated the Rockets in Game 6 of their playoff series on Friday, 98-78. James led the way with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, along with seven rebounds and eight assists.

Rui Hachimura added 21 points for L.A., while Austin Reaves chipped in with 15.

For the Rockets, no one scored more than 20 points, with Amen Thompson leading Houston in scoring with 18.

The victory allowed the Lakers to win the series 4-2 and advance to the next round, where they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On Saturday, however, the NBA made a ruling on a foul that occurred during the game. With 5:55 left in the fourth quarter and Houston initiating the offense, Thompson was called for a foul on Reaves.

Thompson was seen pulling Reaves' right arm and shoving him to the ground, resulting in a loose-ball foul. After reviewing the play, though, the NBA upgraded Thompson's foul to a flagrant 1.

"Amen Thompson's (HOU) foul against Austin Reaves (LAL) at 5:55 of 4th qtr on 5/1/26 has been upgraded to a Flagrant 1 after league review," the NBA Official account said in a statement.

Had the flagrant 1 been called during the game, it would have given the Lakers two free throws and possession of the ball. Fortunately, the foul didn't have any effect on the outcome of the contest.

As for Thompson, the flagrant 1 upgrade gives him one flagrant foul point. Accumulating four flagrant points leads to an automatic one-game suspension. With the Rockets eliminated from the playoffs, though, the flagrant points no longer matter.

Related: NBA Announces Four Mistakes in Lakers' Loss to Rockets

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 4:40 PM.