Rajon Rondo, Isaiah Thomas get ejected in first quarter

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- It didn't take long for Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Thomas to get ejected in a matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers.

The guards were both kicked out just before the end the first quarter of the Pelicans' 139-117 victory Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Fans on social media speculated that Rondo and Thomas still had bad blood from Rondo's recent comments regarding Thomas' tribute video from the Boston Celtics.

Thomas spent more than two seasons with the Celtics, while Rondo played the first eight and a half seasons of his career in Boston, winning a championship in 2008.

"What has he done?" Rondo told the Worcester Telegram and Gazette in January, referring to Thomas. "This is the Boston Celtics. This isn't the Phoenix Suns, no disrespect to any other organization, but you don't hang conference titles. Do we hang going to the conference finals? What do we hang here?"

The fans might have been right, as Thomas told reporters after the game that Rondo brought up the video tribute during the contest. Rondo was caught on video putting his hand in Thomas' face before the two eventually got into a larger scuffle.

After Rondo's extracurricular activity, he got into a wrestling match with Thomas in the paint as the two battled for position. The grab-hold-bump fest eventually escalated to a level that made referees step in to separate the players.

Rondo was officially given a flagrant foul type 1, before getting a double technical with Thomas. Lakers coach Luke Walton was also ejected, but he waited until the end of the second quarter to get booted.

The Lakers and the Pelicans have a rematch on March 22 in New Orleans.

Thomas had three points, two assists and two turnovers in four minutes for the Lakers. Rondo had four points and five assists in eight minutes.