NBA: Amen Thompson, Terry Rozier suspended for altercation

Both bench clear for a brawl after Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro to the court, resulting in multiple ejections for both teams in the final minute of play during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

MIAMI — The NBA has suspended Houston’s Amen Thompson for two games and Miami’s Terry Rozier for one game over their roles in a skirmish in the final moments of the Rockets-Heat game on Sunday night.

The league also handed out $145,000 in fines from that game. Houston coach Ime Udoka was fined $50,000 for verbally abusing a game official and not leaving the court in a timely manner, while the Rockets’ Jalen Green was fined $35,000 and Miami’s Tyler Herro was fined $25,000 for their roles in the fight.

READ: NBA: Thompson-Herro fight leads to ejections of players, coaches

And from a separate incident just before the dustup, Houston’s Fred VanVleet was fined $35,000 for making contact with referee Marc Davis.

Because of the suspensions, Rozier will lose about $143,242 in salary and Thompson will lose about $127,586 from his salary.

It was a wild final minute of that game, with seven ejections — VanVleet, Thompson, Rozier, Udoka, Houston assistant coach Ben Sullivan, Green and Herro — taking place. VanVleet was the first to go, getting thrown out for making contact with Davis following a 5-second call being assessed against the Rockets.

READ: NBA: 7 ejected late in Heat’s comeback win over Rockets

And a few seconds later, things boiled over. Thompson threw Herro to the ground after they exchanged words, Rozier entered the fray immediately afterward and plenty of players from both teams engaged in some pushing, shoving and yelling.

Herro led all scorers with 27 points and added nine assists and six rebounds and said after the game he felt that frustrated Thompson.

“Guess that’s what’s happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said. “I’d get mad, too.”

Miami wound up winning 104-100, after a late 19-5 run by the Heat helped them escape from what was a seven-point deficit with 7 minutes left. Houston led by as many as 12 points midway through the third quarter.

“I think they lost control of their feelings when the game started to turn a little bit in our direction,” Herro said Tuesday. “And then obviously the ejection of VanVleet, you heard some words from their sideline towards the refs. They were definitely frustrated.”

Herro said he got a bruise near one of his hips from the fall to the ground, but he expects to play Wednesday against the Pelicans.