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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up their Conference Semifinals matchup against the Golden State Warriors in style. They dominated game 6 and secured a Western Conference Finals position for themselves against the defending champions. Now the Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets in the upcoming games to win the West. There were several significant contributors to the Lakers’ win against the Warriors. However, one of their stars had a rather unusual incident courtside.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Austin Reaves dropped 23 points in game 6, making six assists and five rebounds. After a stunning buzzer-beater at halftime, Reaves went on to celebrate with some fans courtside, where he “accidentally” slapped one of the fans. Although the 24-year-old later apologized during the press conference, that didn’t save him from being trolled on the internet.

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Austin Reaves trolled by NBA fans over his accidental slap

The Crypto.com Arena witnessed a heavy dose of thrill at the end of game 6. The Lakers were not considered a title contender at the beginning of the season due to their poor start and injury issues. Despite all the odds being stacked against them, the LeBron James-led team has made it to the Western Conference Finals.

The duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis once again worked their magic on the court. They put up 47 points and 29 rebounds combined in a game that ended 122-101.

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USA Today via Reuters

However, the rising star for the Lakers made his efforts count too. With a 23-point game, fluid movement up and down the court, and a highlight reel-worthy half-court buzzer-beater, Reaves made his presence felt. Although one fan might have felt it slightly more than the others as he was “accidentally” slapped.

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Reaves, in the moment of celebration, was high fiving the fans celebrating courtside. However, he missed a fan’s hand and instead landed a slap on his face. Although Reaves acknowledged his mistake during the press conference and apologized, the fans responded to the video with some hilarious comments.

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Reaves said, “I accidentally slapped a guy in the face. So whoever that is, I’m sorry.”

Read More: ?Bend the Knee and Accept LeBron [James] as Your GOAT and Saviour?: Minutes Into Warriors Loss, Michael Jordan Dragged Into the Mud by Overconfident Lakers Fans

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Hoop fans respond to Austin Reaves’ apology video

The palm of Reaves’ hand had barely grazed the fan’s face during the ‘slapping’ incident. But that didn’t deter fans to troll the rising LA star. They quickly flocked to the comments with some hilarious responses as they trolled the young Laker for his mistake. Here are some of the reactions:

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“30k dollar slap”

“Bro sounds like Walter Jr when he started talking ?”

“If i?m bro im getting a lawsuit ready”

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“be glad it wasn?t Draymond ?'”

“damn. thats a flagrant”

“The guy was celebrating even more after getting a slap ?”

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Other fans had some hilarious takes on the incident

“He?s never washing his face ever again”

“His real voice came out”

Are the Lakers your pick for this year’s championship? Tell us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Years Before Calling Himself The Goat, LeBron James Wanted To Honor Michael Jordan, Pushing NBA To Take A Huge Step

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Prateek Singh

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Prateek Singh is a senior NBA writer for EssentiallySports, known for his insightful coverage of the league. With a deep passion for basketball fueled by the late Kobe Bryant's championship runs, Prateek has built his writing career on astute analysis and a firm understanding of the game. His area of expertise lies in breaking down trade reports and their implications for fans. His heartwarming coverage of tributes to NBA legend Magic Johnson’s father after his passing saw very high ratios of fan engagement. While this serves as a step closer to him writing a biography on his idol Kobe Bryant, for now, his focus is on delivering trustworthy coverage of the league he loves.

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Edited by

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Satagni Sikder

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