The Houston Rockets earned a 115-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, but Marcus Smart’s third-quarter ejection became the story. Smart received a flagrant-two foul after swinging his right hand toward Warriors center Charles Bassey with 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Officials determined that Smart struck Bassey in the nose, leading to an automatic ejection. Smart understood what was coming and walked toward Houston’s locker room before the ruling was announced. Bassey offered a blunt explanation afterward.
“He’s been playing dirty the whole game, man,” Bassey said. “I remember in the first half, he grabbed my knees. I think I was trying to get a rebound. He was grabbing my hand, I was trying to run back on defense, and then he got up on me and just swung. Obviously, that was weak.”
Bassey then smiled while describing the incident as “fake toughness.” He also suggested that Smart was more interested in leaving the game than competing through the final quarter.
“I don’t think he was trying to play,” Bassey said. “I think he was trying to get himself out of the game. I think he was trying to chill. I don’t think he was trying to hoop. Like I said, that was fake toughness.”
Those are Bassey’s interpretations, not established facts about Smart’s intentions. Smart reportedly told Rockets coach Ime Udoka that the confrontation escalated after Bassey challenged him by asking what he was going to do. The players had previously become tangled while fighting for position, with Smart believing Bassey grabbed his elbow.
None of that excuses throwing a punch. Smart is a 13-year veteran who understands how officials and the NBA respond whenever a player swings, regardless of how much contact occurs. Houston was leading, Stephen Curry had already exited with abdominal soreness and the Rockets were positioned to end Golden State’s eight-game winning streak. Smart risked hurting his team over an exchange that should have ended when the players ran downcourt.
The Rockets survived without him and secured an important victory. Smart finished with six points, two rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes, while Houston relied on Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson to complete the win.
The greater concern now involves what comes next. NBA rules require an ejection for throwing a punch, and Smart could face additional discipline. Houston added him for defense, toughness and veteran leadership. Losing him because he could not disengage would represent the opposite of what the Rockets need.
Bassey clearly believes Smart wanted an early exit. Whether that accusation is fair remains debatable. What cannot be debated is that Smart gave him the opportunity to say it.
Rockets’ Marcus Smart Gets Exposed By Warriors Player Following Punch