An on-court altercation broke out during the final minute of Sunday’s Heat/Rockets game, resulting in several ejections that will likely to lead to suspensions and/or fines for the players involved.
With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in the game, Heat guard Tyler Herro and Rockets guard Amen Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link).
Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Heat guard Terry Rozier tackling Thompson as Rockets guard Jalen Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.
Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Crew chief Marc Davis explained the decision after the game to pool reporter Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
“During the dead ball, Thompsons grabs the jersey and body slams Herro,” Davis said. “Herro responds and they are both ejected for fighting fouls. Green is ejected as his actions escalated the altercation. Rozier as well is ejected as his actions were escalators to the altercation. Coach Sullivan is assessed a technical foul and ejected for his unsportsmanlike comments directed at me as I was attempting to redirect (Alperen) Sengun.”
Tensions were already running high leading up to the play, as Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was tossed from the game moments earlier after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).
VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.
Naji Marshall (four games), Jusuf Nurkic (three games), and P.J. Washington (one game) received suspensions on Saturday for their roles in an incident involving the Mavericks and Suns in Friday’s game, so it would be a surprise if similar penalties aren’t handed out in response to this latest skirmish.
Thompson seems likely to face the most significant punishment from the league, with Rozier and Green at risk of possible suspensions as well. It’s unclear how the NBA will view Herro’s role, given that he didn’t reenter the fray after initially being thrown to the floor.
Although it took the NBA less than 24 hours to make its ruling after the Mavs/Suns altercation, that was at least partly because both teams were in the middle of back-to-back sets and the league wanted to announce suspensions prior to Saturday’s games. Neither the Heat nor the Rockets play until Wednesday, so the NBA may take a little more time to review this case.
Thompson didn’t speak to reporters after Sunday’s game, but Herro suggested with a smile during his post-game media session that his own big night (27 points, nine assists, six rebounds) led to Thompson’s frustration.
“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said (Twitter video link). “I’d get mad, too.”
Watching it unfold, I thought Udoka was tossed at the same time as Sullivan. I might be wrong…or this summary is wrong.
Think you’re right. The pool report makes it sound as if it was related to the VanVleet argument, but it didn’t technically happen until after the Thompson/Herro stuff.
These teams will be trade partners before the deadline, with at least 1 of the players involved in this dust up switching sides.
Don’t bet on that.
Wasn’t planning to
It says a lot when there’s a ROCKETS fracas and Dillon the Villain isn’t even involved in it.
For good or bad, Udoka has fully instilled his mentality on his team.
A 3-game suspension for Amen sounds about right.
Brooks tends to do a dirty play and then walk away or get punched for it. He’s like Bill Laimbeer. “I don’t fight. I instigate, then I walk away.”
2 fights in 2 days shows the Refs are losing control of the game. Start throwing up Ts when players start chirping at each others instead of only on a few players.
I have to laugh at Udoka’s response to it.
“They were in each other’s faces, bumping chests a little bit. One guy is stronger than the other.”
Like, bro, did you blink? I know he’s gotta defend his players, but there are lines. That wasn’t a sumo match, lol.
Rockets are a trash organization from the top down.
I know you really don’t have any reasonable answers as to why you said this, but please try and explain why they are a trash organization?
Owner… Coach… Brooks…
Need more reasons?
The owner who was willing to go thru a rebuild which many owners wouldn’t be willing to do? The coach who took a team to the finals his first year and now has taken that young rebuilding team and turned it into a legit playoff caliber squad within 2 years? Brooks who is a leader of the squad, having a great overall season and plays harder than 99% of the league that most fans complain doesn’t have players that care anymore? Lord, give me a sizable break with all that.
People will use the term “trash” for any Houston sports team now.
Sounds like envy.
Herro didn’t really do anything physical except suck in his belly and walk “menacingly” around the fracas. He shouldn’t have even been ejected unless it was on the principle that he just looked so silly doing so.
He instigated it by chirping, he deserved to get ejected but should probably get the lightest punishment, 1 game or $
Chirping should not be enough to start a fight. Draymond would get into a fight every game if that were the case. He never *stops* talking smack.
Chirping only though? Anybody watch the game? I didn’t. Maybe there was a lot more to it. This was 30 seconds left. Guessing there was something else happening all game.
They kinda bumped into each other a little bit, but it was just jawing until Thompson escalated with a body slam. Clips of the whole fracas are on YouTube if you want a watch, but even then, I didn’t see anything except typical NBA antics the whole game. If Thompson got extra-offended by something in particular, that’s on him.
Herro put his hands on him first. Then they both grabbed each others shirt. Herro must have said something. He did talk. Then Amen took him down. Amen is young, he’ll learn.
Don’t know if this started early in gm. Could have been building.
The officials are horrible and I’m glad Herro got planted into the court for mouthing off.
Gotta be honest… Thompson showed his age. And Herro got lucky he’s not hurt. People made of glass shouldn’t throw stones.
I watched the whole game, Brooks was throwing a lot of sneaky elbows, forearms around ….. Bam and Jovic took most of the hits.
I was half expecting the kid Jovic to crack and retaliate.
It turned out that the lesser Thompson cracked first.
You mean his maturity level not age
Was Herro ejected because he DIDNT “respond” and jump in the fight after he was rag-dolled?
Too sportsmanlike?
#heatculture
The Rockets have definitely taken on their coaches mentality…
But as they always say… It’s a top down problem… Ownership is the issue in Houston…
Herro trash talked afterwards.
Herro was killing them all gm. Only saw end. So don’t know if he was lighting up Amen. But Thompson was pissed when he threw him. Don’t know if he said something. But he got to Amen.
It was chippy all throughout the game ……. Brooks was throwing all sort of elbows and forearms the whole time he was in and he wasn’t part of the scuffle.
I like these Thompson twins (80’s pun, if anyone here gets it), they have a seriousness to their game and takes great pride in defense, something which very young players do …… like I said, Udoka has stamped his personality on his players for both good and bad – they play with activity, yet border on instigation.
If what Herro told Amen, led Amen going ape s**t – imagine, what would Amen do once he hears it from Draymond, Antman ……. or he only does it to smaller folks.
Amen’s lucky that UD, Pittman doesn’t play anymore.
The ROCKETS are talented enough – Udoka should tone down some, listen to Steven Adams’ life lessons.