Sports
Marcus Smart is ejected for throwing a punch at Charles Bassey as the Rockets end the Warriors' eight-game streak
Smart was tossed with a flagrant 2 in the third quarter and Bassey called it fake toughness as Houston beat a Golden State team missing Stephen Curry.
The Houston Rockets snapped the Golden State Warriors' eight-game winning streak on Wednesday night. Marcus Smart did not stick around to see the end of it.
Smart was ejected late in the third quarter for throwing a punch at Warriors center Charles Bassey. Houston went on to win 115-108 at home.
The Warriors played almost the whole night without Stephen Curry. He left in the first quarter with right abdominal soreness and did not return.
What happened between Smart and Bassey
Amen Thompson had just raced in for a transition basket with 21 seconds left in the third quarter. Smart and Bassey ended up face to face, trading words as Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg tried to pull them apart.
Smart then threw a right hook. Bassey leaned back and the punch grazed his nose. It happened right in front of referee Mitchell Ervin.
Smart did not wait for the review. He walked straight to the locker room. Officials then ruled it a flagrant foul 2, which is an automatic ejection.
It was the 13th ejection of Smart's career and his first since the 2023-24 season. He had six points in 17 minutes.
Both sides tell their story
Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Smart told him the two got tangled up and his sore elbow got bent. "So he said something to him and Bassey said, 'What you gonna do?' and he did it," Udoka said.
Bassey said Smart had been playing dirty all game. "Obviously, that was weak," Bassey said. "I just think that was, honestly, fake toughness."
How Houston closed it out
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 20 points. Alperen Sengun had 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Thompson added 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Golden State cut a nine-point lead to 88-85 early in the fourth quarter. Houston answered with eight straight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers from Reed Sheppard. Fred VanVleet hit another big 3 later in the quarter and finished with 18 points.
Lendeborg led the Warriors with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Brandin Podziemski scored 22.
Houston improved to 9-3. Golden State fell to 8-4. The Warriors visit San Antonio on Friday night. The Rockets host Utah the same night.
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