Tempers flared late in the matchup between the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat on Sunday evening, as four players were ejected following an altercation that occurred with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
A skirmish broke out between the two teams after Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Tyler Herro to the ground while the two battled for position ahead of an inbounds pass.
The two players were shoving one another when Thompson seemingly had enough and grabbed Herro by the jersey and flung him to the ground. Thompson was then swarmed by Heat players, while his own teammates got in the mix, too.
MY GOODNESS, A FIGHT BREAKS OUT BETWEEN TYLER HERRO AND AMEN THOMPSON pic.twitter.com/X5E0IToCsN
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) December 30, 2024
Coaches worked to restrain players from both sides and prevent a full-blown melee. Thompson could be seen shouting at Herro while he was being dragged away by Rockets assistants.
As a result of the skirmish, four players (and two coaches) were ejected, including Herro and Terry Rozier from the Heat, as well as Thompson and Jalen Green from the Rockets. Houston coaches Ime Udoka and Ben Sullivan were also tossed from the game.
Moments before the brawl, Fred VanVleet was ejected from the game after inadvertently bumping an official while pleading his case after being whistled for a five-second violation. In total, seven ejections were handed out during the final minute of regulation.
— No Context NBA (@NoContext_NBA_) December 30, 2024
Miami went on to win the game, 104–100, though it was the chaotic end to the game that will be the topic of discussion in the aftermath.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Four Rockets, Heat Players Ejected After Amen Thompson Throws Tyler Herro to Floor.
