Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Mason Plumlee, Mike Budenholzer, and Ime Udoka all reacted to the on-court scuffle between Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee that led to their ejections, questioning the referees' decision.
The Houston Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns 111-104 on Wednesday night, but the final score took a backseat to an on-court scuffle that turned into a full-blown wrestling match at the Toyota Center.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
32
|
| Jalen Green | |
| Points | 29 |
| Accuracy | 8-16 |
| Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 4 |
The altercation led to the ejections of two big men -- Rockets center Steven Adams and Suns big man Mason Plumlee.
The incident happened late in the second quarter when Adams and Plumlee got tangled up while fighting for a rebound. Moments later, they ended up on the floor, surrounded by players, coaches, and security staff trying to break things up.
"He goes for every rebound and he does it whether it's dirty or not," Plumlee said post-game. "I just felt like they were being more physical than us. I just made a point to hit him on the glass.
"Teams just get physical with us. We don't always meet it. Hopefully that turns this last stretch."
After reviewing the play, referee crew chief Tony Brothers announced that both players had been assessed double technical fouls and were ejected.
Not everyone agreed with the decision.
"Nah. Obviously I'm biased, but I feel like Steven tried to pick him up and slam him and Mason happened to just be on top of him," Suns star Devin Booker said.
"It's just two guys getting tangled up. Both physical, both competitors. I think if they just probably give them both a technical, and they both stay in the game," Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer added.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka also questioned the ejections.
"There wasn't much," Udoka said. "Steven could do a lot more if he was really trying to wrestle. It looked like they got in a little bear hug and fell down. I thought that would maybe be a technical at best. Surprised they were ejected."
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant had little to say about the incident, offering only a blunt response:
"My opinion on that does not matter," he told reporters.
With the win, Houston improved to a 41-25 record and 5th seed in the West. Meanwhile, Phoenix dropped to 30-36 (11th seed in the West).
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