In a highly contentious game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, tensions boiled over between star player LeBron James and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, resulting in a technical foul for James and an ejection for Udoka.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter with approximately 8:35 remaining in the game. As the Lakers held a comfortable 93-77 lead, Lakers swingman Cam Reddish fouled Rockets forward Tari Eason. After the play was dead, Reddish walked into Eason, leading to some mild trash-talking between the two players. However, before the situation could escalate further, Udoka was seen directing some comments towards James.

As James attempted to approach Udoka, controversial Rockets player Dillon Brooks stepped in to intervene. This sparked a confrontation between James and Udoka, resulting in a technical foul for James and an ejection for Udoka. The referees wasted no time in making their decision, issuing the technical fouls to both parties involved.

While the exact cause of the heated exchange remained a mystery, a video posted on TikTok shed some light on James' grievances. According to Lakers Daily, the video captured James expressing his displeasure with Udoka's choice of words. "We are all grown men. That b-word ain't cool, don't use it so loosely," James was heard telling Udoka, emphasizing the importance of respectful communication.

Interestingly, James seemed to downplay the incident after the game, jokingly referencing Thanksgiving. "Thanksgiving?... How much we enjoyed Thanksgiving," he quipped, seemingly trying to move past the confrontation.

On the other hand, Udoka remained cryptic about the conversation, simply stating, "We had some conversation, and they didn't like what they heard." He also took a subtle jab at the Lakers in his postgame press conference, expressing disappointment in being “punked” by a team not known for physicality or intimidation.

Despite the drama, the Lakers emerged victorious with a final score of 107-97, thanks in large part to Anthony Davis' impressive performance of 27 points and 14 rebounds. The win improved the Lakers' record to 12-9 for the season, while the Rockets fell to 8-9.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. For more sports coverage, follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.