Most watched Sport videos

Another game, another win, and another fight for the Houston Rockets. This time it was power forward Jabari Smith Jr. who threw down for Ime Udoka’s team by taking on Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn, leading to an ejection for both players.

The two threw punches at each other after they got tangled up while the ball was being brought up the court five seconds into the second quarter. Players and officials got between them before the scuffle could escalate further, and neither appeared to land a significant blow.

Dunn said the two ‘exchanged a couple words, a couple pushes and the next thing you know we’re ejected.’

‘For me, I take responsibility for my actions and whatever the league decides for me, I have to respect that,’ Dunn said of possible punishment.

On Sunday night, the NBA confirmed the Jazz guard had been suspended two games without pay ‘for initiating (the) altercation and throwing a punch’ at Smith Jr., who was suspended one game. 

Kris Dunn vs. Jabari Smith Jr. 😳 https://t.co/ZrwIh3CCNn

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 24, 2024

Rockets power forward Jabari Smith Jr. is held back after a brief scuffle with Utah’s Kris Dunn

Dunn will begin his suspension on Monday, when Utah hosts the Dallas Mavericks. Smith Jr., meanwhile, will miss Monday’s clash against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

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 thought the altercation was a carryover from when the teams played on January 20 and both players got into it then and were issued technical fouls.

‘I think Dunn hit him with a sH๏τ, and then, they got wrapped up and threw a few punches,’ Udoka said. ‘Basically, nothing landed, but as soon as you throw a punch, you’re going to be ejected.’

Udoka was not the only one to notice Dunn and Smith’s inaccuracy.

‘Kris Dunn’s punching percentage just as bad as his shooting percentage,’ one fan joked on X.

Although Dunn has improved his perimeter shooting this year to reach 38.5-percent accuracy on 3-point attempts, he has traditionally struggled from the outside, making just 32 percent for his career.

‘Not a single punch landed,’ joked one fan.

Kris Dunn of the Utah Jazz is seen exiting 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 nba scuffles been nothing but [missed] punches.’

In fact, the NBA’s last skirmish also involved the Rockets.

Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Houston’s Dillon Brooks were both ejected after being involved in an on-court scrum in Thursday night’s game between the Bulls and the Rockets, which Houston won 127-117.

With 6:02 remaining in the third quarter and the Rockets leading 84-75, Jalen Green was bringing the ball up the court when DeRozan came off a screen and hip-checked him, which sent Green down to the court in pain.

‘I think there was some contact on some drives, some fouls, previous calls that were not called,’ Bulls interim coach Billy Donovan said. ‘Obviously, DeMar jumped off of that screen and fouled Green.’

Brooks took exception and immediately approached DeRozan, who had his back turned to him. DeRozan turned and looked to have elbowed Brooks in the chin, which caused the two to lock arms. Teammates tried to break it up.

‘I didn’t love it being that he got elbowed,’ Udoka said of Brooks’ ejection. ‘He walked over and didn’t say anything crazy. But they say the rules are the guy that kind of instigates it to get it to that step after DeRozan did what he did, he got suspended because of that.’

Brooks’ reputation as an agitator precedes him  from his days in Memphis and showed up again

Brooks and DeRozan spent several seconds tangled before both men were ejected 

The scrum grew with team staff and security attempting to intervene. Torrey Craig got involved and he and Brooks fell to the ground after tripping over a security guard who had fallen.

After the scrum had been cleared the situation reviewed, the initial foul by DeRozan was ruled a flagrant foul 2 and he was ejected. Brooks was given a technical foul and ejected for his role.

‘I don’t think DeMar’s intention was to get a flagrant 2, certainly it was fouling and of course flagrant 1 and they’re shooting a free throw,’ Donovan said. ‘I don’t think that was ever his intention was to do that. I actually was a little surprised that it got elevated to a flagrant 2, personally.’

Udoka added about Brooks: ‘Had a great game, great impact, wish he didn’t get ejected but like I said I don’t mind him standing up for his guys.’

Now in his first year with the Rockets, Brooks previously got into a scuffle with the Lakers’ LeBron James earlier this year, but it was quickly broken up by teammates.