The Golden State Warriors have been involved in more than a few small altercations already this season. From Yaxel Lendeborg getting into it with Luka Dončić, to Georges Niang talking smack with seemingly everyone, to Draymond Green getting ejected against the Phoenix Suns, the Dubs are no stranger to testiness this year.
But, going into Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, the Warriors had, thankfully, avoided any fights or anything too violent. That ended in Houston, in a bizarre scene
that didn’t seem to be any fault of Golden State’s.
Late in the third quarter, Warriors center Charles Bassey and Rockets guard Marcus Smart get tangled up fighting for a rebound. It took them a while to get untangled, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. After releasing from each other, Bassey ran down the court to stay involved in the play. Smart ran after him, and the two exchanged a few words, after which Smart threw a punch at Bassey’s face. Bassey reacted quickly, and avoided having the punch land squarely, though Smart’s fist did graze his face. To Bassey’s credit, he didn’t escalate the violence, and things quickly calmed down as Lendeborg and Gui Santos were there to restrain Smart, whose teammates and coaches immediately escorted him off the court and into the locker room.
The refs went to replay review, where Smart — no stranger to altercations — was given a Flagrant 2 foul, and an automatic ejection. No other players were penalized. It seems certain that a suspension and/or fine will follow.
What a strange moment, and thankfully one where no one was hurt, and no Warriors players got violent.
