Rockets-Jazz altercation leads to punches thrown, players ejected
The Houston Rockets on Saturday were once again involved in a testy on-court incident, this time against the Utah Jazz.
Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Jazz guard Kris Dunn were both ejected before halftime at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The two players got tangled up as Houston brought the ball up just five seconds into the second quarter. Dunn was seen grabbing Smith’s jersey, which drew a push back from the Rockets big man. The shoving eventually led to both players squaring up and even swinging at each other. Teammates and and officials had to quickly get between the two.
Kris Dunn vs. Jabari Smith Jr. 😳
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 24, 2024
Both Smith and Dunn were ejected from the contest.
The Rockets still managed to pull off a 147-119 win despite playing without their two top big men in Smith and Alperen Sengun.
Rockets guards Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet combined for 75 points and 17 three-pointers. VanVleet’s 10 threes alone nearly matched the Jazz’s team total of 11.
The Rockets are just days removed from another in-game altercation between Dillon Brooks and a 6-time All-Star. But that hasn’t stopped the team from extending their winning streak to eight games — the longest active streak in the Western Conference.
