Rockets suspend Kevin Porter Jr, Christian Wood for incident with coach

Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood both reportedly threw temper tantrums after Houston Rockets assistant coach John Lucas III called them out during Saturday night’s game, and the team has disciplined the two players for their actions.

Both Porter and Wood have been suspended for Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon.

Reporting with @ESPN_MacMahon: The Houston Rockets are suspending Kevin Porter Jr., and Christian Wood for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, disciplining both for poor behavior surrounding Saturday’s loss to Denver.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 3, 2022

Porter only played 16 minutes in Houston’s 124-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. He left the Toyota Center at halftime and drove home after he was upset about being called out by Lucas, according to reports. Lucas challenged Porter and other players during halftime, and Porter responded by throwing an object and leaving the arena.

Lucas also reportedly challenged Wood’s effort, which upset the big man. Wood did not start the game for disciplinary reasons. He then refused to sub in during the second half.

The Rockets are 10-27 and have lost seven straight games. They have struggled since James Harden forced a trade last year. The incidents involving Porter and Wood indicate they may have even bigger issues than their losing record, though Porter is known for being somewhat of a headcase.

Porter has long had attitude and maturity issues. He was traded away by Cleveland to Houston in the first place due to an outburst. The Rockets have now witnessed his erratic behavior first-hand.

Photo: Mar 17, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) looks on during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Carmen Mandato/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports