On December 30th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Rockets lose to the Heat 104-110. In the final moments of the game, a large-scale conflict erupted on the court, with Amon and Herro engaging in a wrestling match. Rozier and Jalen Green also joined the fray, leading to a brawl between both teams. Ultimately, six players were ejected from the game due to this conflict.
With 35.7 seconds remaining in the game, Amon and Herro were jostling for position during Rozier's sideline inbound pass. The argument escalated quickly into a physical altercation, with Amon tackling Herro to the ground. Rozier rushed onto the court and took down Amon, while Jalen Green joined the fight, creating a chaotic scene. Both teams' players and coaching staff surrounded them. After the fight was broken up, Amon and Herro continued to exchange insults, as did Green and Rozier. Udoka was ejected first for insulting the referee, followed by a Rockets assistant coach.
After the conflict was resolved and while waiting for the ruling, Herro taunted the Rockets' bench with laughter and shouted, "Go home, guys, you lost, you've already lost."
The referees reviewed multiple angles of the incident and decided to eject Herro, Rozier, Jalen Green, and Amon from the game. Including Rockets head coach Udoka and assistant coach Sullivan, a total of six people were ejected due to the conflict.
Prior to the conflict, Rockets player VanVleet committed a five-second violation on an inbound pass and argued with the referee that he had called a timeout. During the exchange, he bumped into the referee and was immediately ejected with a technical foul (T).
The large-scale conflict between the Rockets and the Heat has sparked heated discussions, with several well-known reporters indicating that multiple players from both teams will be suspended without pay. Brett Siegel stated that Amon Thompson is expected to be suspended for at least two games.
After the game, Heat players Herro and Rozier sat in the locker room and responded to the fighting incident by flipping off the camera. However, they may face additional fines from the league for such behavior.
When discussing the conflict after the game, Rockets head coach Udoka said, "If what I say gets me ejected, then I'll be ejected every game."
Regarding the fight between Amon and Herro, Udoka commented, "I didn't see it clearly at the time, but we reviewed the footage. They (Amon and Herro) were butting heads, with some chest-to-chest contact. One man was stronger than the other."
Herro spoke about the conflict in the locker room, saying, "It's just two fighters targeting each other, playing ball... It's a game full of confrontation. If someone keeps scoring, assisting, and doing everything in front of you, such things will happen. If it were me, I'd be angry too."
Rozier expressed his feelings, saying, "I love Tyler very much; he's a good person. We have to protect him; it's my instinct."
During a previous game between the Suns and Mavericks, Nurkic, Marshall, and Washington got into a fight, with Marshall even causing trouble in the player's tunnel. As a result, Marshall was suspended for four games, Nurkic for three games, and Washington for one game. How will the league punish the large-scale conflict between the Rockets and the Heat? The results are expected to be announced tomorrow.