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HOUSTON — A fight between Miami’s Tyler Herro and Houston’s Amen Thompson broke out at the end of Sunday’s game between the Heat and Rockets in Houston that escalated to a multi-player altercation and led to a slew of ejections that impacted both teams.
The Heat were readying to inbound a pass in the backcourt while up by four points in the final 36 seconds when Thompson and Herro began bumping each other. The situation escalated when Thompson grabbed Herro’s jersey and threw him to the ground, leading to multiple players and coaches — including Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who had to be restrained — rushing onto the court as a fracas ensued.
Two Rockets players — Thompson and Jalen Green — were ejected along with Udoka and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan. The Heat’s Herro and Terry Rozier were also ejected for their part in the altercation. Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was ejected on the previous play for arguing a five-second call.
Can’t lose your composure like that… pic.twitter.com/5DDAWJldAy
— HEAT on FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Heat) December 30, 2024
Udoka said he didn’t see the incident between Thompson and Herro live, but later watched a replay.
“They were in each other’s faces, bumping chests a little bit. One guy is stronger than the other,” he said.
Regarding his own ejection, the coach said, “If what I said gets me kicked out, I’d be kicked out of every game.”
“Very minimal. (The official) was talking to a staff member, I was talking to him — I think he’s trying to protect his crew,” Udoka continued.
Udoka also referenced the Rockets’ struggles to score or generate enough defensive stops in the 104-100 defeat, both recurring themes in Houston’s recent two-game skid. The Heat opted to go under a number of pick-and-rolls in the second half and particularly the fourth quarter, essentially daring the Rockets to punish them from beyond the arc. But Houston’s inability to capitalize on Miami’s gamble spoke to larger themes, specifically its lack of control and poise amid struggles.
“It felt like there wasn’t a lot of control in the game regardless,” Udoka said. “So that’s probably going to happen when there’s inconsistency with (what’s being called). I wouldn’t say I’m surprised it got to that point. They lost control as a crew, and that’s what happens.”
What comes next for Rockets?
The Rockets have established an identity under Udoka as a no-nonsense, physical group that isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty, even if enforcing that collective will leads to an altercation. In fact, those within the organization say they encourage it. It’s enabled them to post a 21-11 record and a top-four seed so far in a crowded Western Conference.
But beyond the flurry of ejections Sunday night, questions about Houston’s lack of offensive consistency remain. The Rockets shot just 39 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 against a Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler, its most important player. Udoka has successfully constructed a versatile, aggressive defensive unit that can compete with the league’s best offenses. But until the Rockets find an offensive rhythm — the Rockets rank 26th in halfcourt points per 100 plays, according to Cleaning the Glass — they’ll continue to find themselves a risk of meaningless late-game scuffles.
Houston is already dealing with the absence of Tari Eason and just welcomed Dillon Brooks back into the fold after missing a few games. A suspension from the league office is likely for Thompson, which deprives the Rockets of arguably their most important reserve. — Kelly Iko, Rockets writer
This will be updated.
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(Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
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