HOUSTON — Rockets forward Amen Thompson slammed Heat guard Tyler Herro to the floor, starting a fight that culminated in six ejections in Miami’s 104-100 win against Houston on Sunday.
Thompson and Herro collided as Miami tried to inbound with 35 seconds left, leading 99-94. Thompson “body slams Herro.” with his jersey-grabbing throw, according to referee Marc Davis.
“I didn’t see it live, but I rewatched,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka remarked. “They were in each other’s face, bumping chests a little bit, and one guy’s stronger than the other.”
Terry Rozier, Jalen Green, Herro, Thompson, and Udoka were ejected, as was Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan.
As the referee tried to redirect the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun, Davis said Green and Rozier intensified the fight and Sullivan was dismissed for unsportsmanlike comments and a technical foul.
The altercation occurred after Miami rallied from 12 points down in the second half after Houston missed 11 straight attempts in the fourth quarter. Herro led all scorers with 27 points, nine assists, and six rebounds to lead the comeback.
He thought Thompson was frustrated by that.
“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” he remarked. “I’d get mad, too.”
Herro never talked to Thompson, who did not speak to media after Sunday’s game, so there was no history of animosity.
“Just two competitors going at it, playing basketball,” he remarked. “It was a regular game that we were playing throughout.”
Davis claimed Houston’s Fred VanVleet made contact with him after being ejected for a five-second infraction before the incident.
Miami won after losing 120-110 in Atlanta 24 hours earlier. Herro was proud of his team’s performance against one of the NBA’s greatest teams without second-leading scorer Jimmy Butler for a sixth straight game.
“Top two, three in the West,” Herro stated. Very good defense. We won because we had youthful, athletic, talented players. A stepping stone. On the road, 2-1. I appreciate how we’re doing after positioning ourselves to win yesterday. We must keep improving.”
