Another match, another victory and another fight for the Houston Rockets.
This time, it was striker Jabari Smith Jr. who stood out for Ime Udoka’s team by facing Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn, leading to the ejection of both players.
The two threw punches at each other after tangling as the ball moved up the field five seconds into the second quarter. Players and officials got in between each other before the fight could escalate further, and neither appeared to land a significant blow.
Dunn said the two “exchanged a few words, a few pushes and the next thing you know, we’re kicked out.”
“For me, I take responsibility for my actions and no matter what the league decides for me, I have to respect that,” Dunn said of possible punishment.
Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is held after a brief scuffle with Utah’s Kris Dunn
Smith was not made available after the game, which the Rockets won 147-119, for their eighth straight victory.
Houston coach Ime Udoka said he believed the altercation was a carryover from the teams’ game on Jan. 20 and that both players got into it at that time and received fouls techniques.
“I think Dunn hit him with a shot, and then they wrapped up and threw a few punches,” Udoka said. “Basically nothing landed, but as soon as you throw a punch, you’re going to get thrown out.”
Udoka wasn’t the only one to notice Dunn and Smith’s inaccuracy.
“Kris Dunn’s hitting percentage is as bad as his shooting percentage,” one fan joked on X.
Although Dunn has improved his perimeter shooting this year to 38.5 percent accuracy on 3-point attempts, he has traditionally struggled from the outside, making just 32 percent in his career.
“Not a single punch was thrown,” one fan joked.
Kris Dunn of the Utah Jazz is seen leaving the court in Houston after being ejected
Jabari Smith Jr. is introduced before the game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night
Another noted that “the last 50 scuffles in the NBA have been nothing but [missed] punches.’
In fact, the latest NBA skirmish also involved the Rockets.
Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Houston’s Dillon Brooks were both ejected after being involved in an on-court melee during Thursday night’s game between the Bulls and Rockets, which Houston won 127-117.
With 6:02 left in the third quarter and the Rockets leading 84-75, Jalen Green was moving the ball up the court when DeRozan came off a screen and checked his hip, which sent Green down the court with pain.
“I think there was some contact on some drives, some fouls, some previous calls that weren’t called,” Bulls interim coach Billy Donovan said. “Obviously DeMar jumped off that screen and fouled Green.”
Brooks objected and immediately approached DeRozan, who had his back to him. DeRozan turned around and appeared to elbow Brooks in the chin, causing the two to lock arms. Teammates tried to break him up.
“I didn’t like that he got elbowed,” Udoka said of Brooks’ ejection. “He walked over and didn’t say anything crazy. But they say it’s the rules that incentivize him to take that step after DeRozan did what he did, he was suspended because of it.
Brooks’ reputation as an agitator precedes him from his days in Memphis and has reemerged
Brooks and DeRozan spent several seconds tangled before both men were ejected
The melee escalated with team personnel and security attempting to intervene. Torrey Craig got involved and he and Brooks fell to the ground after tripping over a fallen security guard.
After the scrimmage ended the situation was reviewed, DeRozan’s initial foul was ruled a flagrant foul 2 and he was ejected. Brooks received a technical foul and was ejected for his role.
“I don’t think DeMar’s intention was to get a blatant 2, it was definitely a foul and of course a blatant 1 and they shoot a free throw,” Donovan said. “I don’t think it was ever his intention to do that. I was actually a little surprised that it was elevated to a blatant level 2, personally.
Udoka added of Brooks: “I had a great game, great impact, I wish he wasn’t sent off, but like I said I don’t mind him defending his guys.”
Now in his first year with the Rockets, Brooks previously got into a fight with the Lakers’ LeBron James earlier this year, but it was quickly broken up by his teammates.
