Fans ejected from Lakers-Hawks game in Atlanta after verbal courtside spat with LeBron James

ATLANTA (KABC) -- Fans may not be allowed at Staples Center right now, but they are in Atlanta, where a Lakers game was briefly interrupted by a confrontation between LeBron James and some people in the socially distanced crowd.

During the fourth quarter of the game against the Hawks Monday night, James got into a brief verbal confrontation with a female fan who pulled down her mask to make a point.

Specific details of the incident were not clear, but the woman, Juliana Carlos, her husband and two others were ejected for getting into the verbal spat with James. Carlos says the Lakers star hurled expletives at her after she was defending her husband.

The referees halted the game and called in security officers, who ejected the fans from State Farm Arena. There was a socially distanced crowd of 1,341 for the lone Atlanta visit by the reigning NBA champions.

James said it was no big deal. In fact, he didn't think the fans should've been tossed.

"We said our piece, he said his piece, I said my piece. And then someone else jumped into it and said their piece," he said. "But I didn't think they should've been kicked out, but they might have had a couple drinks maybe, and they could've probably kept it going and the game wouldn't be about the game no more. So I think the referees did what they had to do."

James apparently got a kick out of the confrontation, later tweeting "Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!!"

The night ended with James leading the Lakers to a 107-99 victory over the Hawks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.