Trey Lyles (sort of) threw a punch at the head of Jonas Valanciunas but somehow didn't get ejected

During the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, Kings forward Trey Lyles and Pelicans big man Jonas Valanciunas shared a tense moment.

As the Pelicans hustled back on defense in the second quarter of the game, Lyles and Valanciunas were visibly upset at one another. Lyles then threw what was nearly a punch toward the head of Valanciunas, but the strike did not connect.

The broadcasters described what they saw from Lyles as a “modified swing” toward the big man. Here is a video of what happened:

Trey Lyles and Jonas Valančiūnas getting into it in Sacramento pic.twitter.com/Hhm5t7ELTJ

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 5, 2023

Lyles was whistled for a “physical taunt” technical foul against the New Orleans big man but was not ejected from the contest.

It was not a double technical, meanwhile, as Valanciunas was not penalized for his actions during the possession.

JaVale McGee and Naji Marshall sharing words pic.twitter.com/kyiWNPlL7U

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 5, 2023

Later in the game, New Orleans wing Naji Marshall approached Lyles and may have shared his thoughts about the incident.

Overall, the refs seemingly allowed more of a playoff-like atmosphere during the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup to allow that type of physicality without an ejection.