Altercation Leads to Early Ejection
Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart was ejected on Wednesday night after throwing a right hook at Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey. The incident took place during the third quarter of Houston's victory.
Rockets guard Amen Thompson had just finished a transition bucket to put Houston ahead 82-76 with 21 seconds remaining in the period. Immediately after the play, Smart and Bassey stood face to face and began arguing on the court.
How the Incident Unfolded
Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg tried to separate the two players as they argued. Smart then threw a right hook that grazed Bassey's nose as the Warriors center stepped back to avoid the blow.
The altercation happened right in front of referee Mitchell Ervin. Thompson, along with Golden State players Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski, quickly stepped in to separate everyone alongside referee Brandon Adair.
Review and Automatic Ejection
Smart did not wait around on the court for the official review of the play. Instead, the veteran guard headed straight to the locker room immediately after throwing the punch.
Following their review, referee Mitchell Ervin announced that Smart received a flagrant foul 2 for contact to the nose of Bassey. The call resulted in an automatic ejection from the game.
Player Background and Game Impact
Before his ejection, the 32 year old Smart played 16 minutes in the game. He recorded six points, two rebounds, and one assist as the Rockets secured a 115-108 victory.
Smart is a 12 year NBA veteran who signed with Houston as a free agent over the summer. He is averaging 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals across nine games this season, including one start. Wednesday marked his 13th career ejection, and his first since the 2023 to 2024 season when he played for the Memphis Grizzlies.
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