MIAMI – The NBA has suspended Houston’s team Amen Thompson for two games and Miami Terry Rozier for one game over their roles in the skirmish in the closing moments Rockets–Warm game on Sunday night.
The league also assessed a $145,000 fine for the game. Houston coach Ime Udoka was fined $50,000 for verbally insulting a referee and failing to leave the court in a timely manner, while the Rockets Jalen Green was fined $35,000 and Miami’s Tyler Herro was fined $25,000 for his role in the brawl.
And from a separate incident just before the turmoil, in Houston Fred VanVleet was fined $35,000 for contact with Judge Mark Davis.
Due to the suspension, Rozier will lose approximately $143,242 in salary and Thompson will lose approximately $127,586 in salary.
It was a crazy last minute of the match, which included, among others: seven throws – VanVleet, Thompson, Rozier, Udoka, Houston assistant coach Ben Sullivan, Green and Herro – are taking place. VanVleet was the first to go and was ejected for making contact with Davis after a five-second call assessed against the Rockets.
And a few seconds later everything came to a boil. After words were exchanged, Thompson threw Herro to the ground, Rozier immediately entered the fray, and multiple players on both teams began pushing, shoving and shouting.
Herro led all scorers with 27 points, added nine assists and six rebounds, and said after the game that he thought it frustrated Thompson.
“I guess that’s what happens when someone shoots and throws dimes and does everything,” Herro said. – I’d be furious too.
Miami ended up winning 104-100after the Heat’s 19-5 run late in the game helped them escape a seven-point deficit with seven minutes remaining. Houston led by as many as 12 points midway through the third quarter.
“I think they lost control of their feelings when the game started to turn towards us a little bit,” Herro said Tuesday. “And then obviously the sending off of VanVleet, you heard some words from their sideline towards the referees. They were definitely frustrated.”
Herro said he suffered a bruise around one hip when he fell to the ground, but he expects to play against the team on Wednesday Pelicans.
