NBA

NBA Suspends Rockets’ Amen Thompson, Heat’s Terry Rozier For Fight

NBA Suspends Rockets Amen Thompson, Heat Terry Rozier For Fight

The NBA has suspended Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson for two games and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier for one game over their roles in a skirmish in the final moments of Miami’s 104-100 win over Houston at Toyota Center on Sunday night. The league also issued $145,000 in fines from that matchup.

NBA fined Rockets coach Ime Ukoda $50,000, Houston’s Jalen Green was fined $35,000, and Miami’s Tyler Herro was fined $25,000

Rockets coach Ime Udoka was fined $50,000 for verbally abusing an official and not leaving the court. Houston’s Jalen Green was also fined $35,000 and Miami’s Tyler Herro was fined $25,000 for their roles in the fight.

Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Rozier will lose about $143,242 in salary and Thompson will miss out on roughly $127,586. Each team will receive a 50% credit of the suspended amount that applies to the luxury tax.

From a separate incident before the scuffle, Houston’s Fred VanVleet was fined $35,000 for making contact with referee Marc Davis. VanVleet made contact with him after being called for a five-second violation.


Seven individuals were ejected in the final minute of Sunday’s game: VanVleet, Thompson, Rozier, Udoka, Houston assistant coach Ben Sullivan, Green, and Herro.

VanVleet was the first to get thrown out in the contest. Seconds later, Thompson threw Herro to the court after they exchanged words. Rozier entered the quarrel immediately afterward and several players from both teams engaged in pushing and shoving.

Thompson will serve his suspension against the Mavericks and Celtics, while Rozier will miss the Pelicans game

Herro led all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-17 (58.8%) shooting from the field and three 3-pointers. The six-year NBA veteran added nine assists and six rebounds. He said after the game that he believed that frustrated Thompson.

“Guess that’s what’s happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro replied when reporters asked what led to the fight. “I’d get mad, too.”

Miami closed out its victory with a late 19-5 run. The Heat were down by seven with seven minutes left before that stretch. 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 a little bit in our direction,” Herro said Tuesday. “And then obviously the ejection of VanVleet. You heard some words from their sideline towards the refs. They were definitely frustrated.”

Herro said that he sustained a bruise near one of his hips from the fall to the ground. However, he still expects to play Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Thompson will serve his suspension on Wednesday when the Rockets host the Dallas Mavericks and Friday when the Rockets host the Boston Celtics. Rozier will serve his suspension on Wednesday for the Heat-Pelicans matchup.