A heated NBA matchup between the Heat and Rockets turned ugly Sunday night, leading to multiple suspensions and $145,000 in fines after a late-game brawl at Houston’s Toyota Center.
Rockets rookie Amen Thompson got hit hardest with a two-game suspension, while Miami’s Terry Rozier will sit out one game.
The fight’s price tag will sting both players’ wallets. Rozier will lose about $143,000 in salary, while Thompson’s two-game timeout will cost him roughly $128,000.
The NBA came down hard on Rockets coach Ime Udoka too, slapping him with a $50,000 fine for going after the refs and refusing to leave the court. Houston’s Jalen Green ($35,000) and Miami’s Tyler Herro ($25,000) also got lighter pockets for their roles in the mess.
It was chaos in the final minute, with seven people getting tossed from the game – including players from both teams and even a Rockets assistant coach.
The trouble started when Rockets guard Fred VanVleet got ejected for bumping referee Marc Davis after a call didn’t go his way. That incident earned VanVleet his own separate $35,000 fine.
Things really exploded when Thompson threw Herro to the floor after some heated words. Rozier jumped in right away, and suddenly it was pushing and shoving everywhere.
Herro, who’d been having quite a night with 27 points and nine assists, thinks he knows what set Thompson off.
“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said with a hint of swagger. “I’d get mad, too.”
The Heat had just pulled off an impressive comeback, using a 19-5 run to erase what had been a 12-point Rockets lead.
“I think they lost control of their feelings when the game started to turn a little bit in our direction,” Herro explained Tuesday. Despite taking a hard fall that left him with a bruised hip, he’s planning to play in the Heat’s next game.
Thompson will watch from the sidelines when the Rockets face the Mavericks on Wednesday and the Celtics on Friday. Rozier will sit out Miami’s Wednesday matchup against the Pelicans.
