Rajon Rondo, Isaiah Thomas ejected; Luke Walton also tossed

— -- NEW ORLEANS -- On Valentine's Day, there was no love lost between Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Thomas.

The two former Celtics point guards got tangled up, exchanged words and were handed double technical fouls before being ejected in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers- New Orleans Pelicans game Wednesday night.?

Near the end of the first quarter, Thomas and Rondo got tangled up twice as the latter hounded the Lakers point guard on defense. When the two mixed it up the second time, officials separated the point guards. The two exchanged words and Rondo got heated when the pair were ejected with 33.3 seconds left.

Besides both playing for the Celtics, Rondo and Thomas have some recent history. Rondo, who played in Boston for eight-plus seasons, questioned last month why the Celtics were going to give Thomas a video tribute on the same night of Paul Pierce's No. 34 retirement ceremony. Thomas played three seasons for the Celtics, joining Boston shortly after Rondo was traded in the 2014-15 season.

"What has he done?" Rondo told the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. When the Pelicans point guard, who won a championship in Boston, was told that Thomas led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals last season, Rondo said, "Oh, that's what we celebrate around here?"

"This is the Boston Celtics," Rondo said. "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?"

Thomas was playing only his second game with the Lakers after being traded with Channing Frye and a protected first-round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. last week.

Thomas left with three points and two assists in five minutes. Rondo had four points, five assists and three rebounds in eight minutes.?

In the second quarter, Lakers coach Luke Walton joined his point guard in the locker room after he screamed expletives and walked past halfcourt to argue with an official for giving Kyle Kuzma a technical foul.

Walton was ejected with 1:38 left in the second quarter after Kuzma demonstratively objected to a foul call by jumping and pretending to slam the basketball and landed a technical foul. An incredulous Walton charged past halfcourt while shouting at an official and then was tossed.

The Pelicans won the game, 139-117.?