Rockets Guard Ejected After Punching Warriors Player in Heated Moment During NBA Game
The Houston Rockets guard, 32, did not wait for the referees’ official review before leaving for the locker room, seconds after he punched Bassey in the third quarter.
Key points
- That was fake toughness.” Smart joined the Rockets over the summer in free agency after one season on the Los Angeles Lakers.
- According to Rockets coach Ime Udoka, Smart said Bassey was targeting his previously injured elbow.
- Officials ruled the contact a flagrant foul 2, which prompted an automatic ejection from the game.
Marcus Smart punched Charles Bassey Credit: Kenneth Richmond/Getty As Smart and Bassey got into it, Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg was seen trying to separate them.
Things got chippy between the two after the Rockets’ Amen Thompson scored on a layup to extend Houston’s lead with 21 seconds to go in the third.
Additional details
- The ejection was his 13th of his 12-year career which has included nine seasons with the Boston Celtics and stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.
- But after the game, Bassey elaborated on what he believed initiated the fracas.
- I think he was trying to get himself out of the game.
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- “I remember the first half, I was trying to set a screen [and] he grabbed my knee,” Bassey, 26, said.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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