HOUSTON — Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the ground, sparking an altercation that resulted in six ejections in the final minutes of Miami’s 104-100 win over Houston.
Thompson and Herro got tangled up as Miami attempted to inbound the ball with a 99-94 lead with 35 seconds left. Thompson grabbed Herro’s jersey and threw him, with referee Marc Davis describing Thompson as “body slams Herro.”
“I didn’t see it live, but I saw it again,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “They were in each other’s faces, their chests bumping a little bit, and one was stronger than the other.”
Herro, Thompson and Udoka were ejected, as were Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan.
Davis said Green and Rozier escalated the argument, and Sullivan was ejected for unsportsmanlike remarks after referees assessed him a technical foul as he attempted to redirect Rockets’ Alperen Sengun.
The altercation occurred after Miami fell behind by 12 points in the second half and Houston made 11 straight shots in the fourth quarter to retake the lead. Herro was a key player in the comeback, adding 27 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds to lead all scorers.
He believed that was what frustrated Thompson.
“I think this is what happens when someone scores, flips a coin, and everything,” Herro said. “I think I’d be angry too.”
Herro said there was no previous bad blood between the two, as he had never spoken with Thompson, who did not speak with reporters after Sunday’s game.
“There were just two competitors playing basketball,” Herro said. “It was a regular game that we played the whole time.”
Houston’s Fred VanVleet was ejected shortly before the game, and Davis said VanVleet made contact with him after he was called for a five-second violation.
Miami’s win came 24 hours after a 120-110 loss in Atlanta. With the Heat missing second-leading scorer Jimmy Butler for five straight games, Herro was proud of the way his team played against one of the best teams in the NBA this season.
“They’re top two or three in the West,” Herro said. “Very good defense. We’ve got a lot of young, athletic players who can really play, so it’s a good win for us. It’s a stepping stone. We’re up 2-1 on the road. We put ourselves in a position to win yesterday, and now I feel good about how things are going, we have to keep getting better.”
