Marcus Smart of the Houston Rockets was suspended yesterday for three games without pay for throwing a punch at Charles Bassey in Wednesday night’s victory over the the Golden State Warriors. The incident happened in the third quarter of the Rockets’ win, and Smart was ejected and given a flagrant 2.
Smart and Bassey begun arguing after an Amen Thompson drive, and then a Smart right hand connected with Bassey. Houston’s head coach Ime Udoka blamed Bassey for running his mouth, however, Bassey claims
it was Smart who initiated the incident by “playing dirty the whole game.”
He said:
“I remember the first half, I was trying to set a screen. He grabbed my knee. He was playing dirty. I think I was trying to get a rebound. He was grabbing my hand, and I was trying to run back on defense. Then, he got up on me and just swung. Obviously, that was weak. I just think that was, honestly, fake toughness.
“It didn’t surprise me. I knew he was going to do something. I don’t think he was trying to play. I think he was trying to get himself out of the game. I think he was trying to chill. He wasn’t trying to hoop. That was fake toughness.”
Smart will miss tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz, Sunday’s game against the Washington Wizards, and Monday’s game against the Miamia Heat. Reed Sheppard likely picks up extra minutes in Smart’s place. He responded on Wednesday with the some clutch play down the stretch. Let’s see if that continues.
Smart is averaging 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal per game for the Rockets while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep. Houston is currently at 9-3 and in third place in the Western Conference.
The Rockets will miss Smart, who has somewhat taken on the old Dillon Brook agitator role, but if any team has the depth to suck it up, it’s the Rockets.
