Rockets guard Marcus Smart ejected after punch on Warriors center
Smart left the court immediately after landing a right hook on Charles Bassey's nose during a 115-108 Houston win.
By Justin Barnes ·
Marcus Smart received his 13th career ejection on Wednesday night after landing a punch that grazed the nose of Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey. The incident occurred in the third quarter of the Rockets' 115-108 victory over the Warriors in Houston. Smart did not remain on the court for the official video review and instead walked directly to the locker room.
The altercation followed a transition play by Rockets guard Amen Thompson, who scored a layup to extend Houston's lead with 21 seconds remaining in the period. Smart and Bassey stood face to face, exchanging words as Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg tried to separate them. Smart threw a right hook as Bassey stepped back to avoid the blow. The contact happened in full view of referee Mitchell Ervin. Thompson, along with Warriors players Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski, moved in quickly to pull the players apart. Referee Brandon Adair also assisted in the separation.
Referee Mitchell Ervin reviewed the play and assessed Smart with a flagrant foul 2 for contact to the nose. This classification results in an automatic ejection. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said he spoke with Smart after the game. Udoka reported that Smart claimed the two players became entangled and that Smart's previously injured elbow got bent. Udoka added that Smart said Bassey asked, 'What you gonna do?' before the punch was thrown.
Bassey disputed the narrative of a sudden scuffle, stating that Smart had been playing dirty throughout the entire game. He described the punch as 'fake toughness.' Bassey recalled a moment in the first half where Smart grabbed his knee while he was setting a screen. He also noted that Smart grabbed his hand while he was attempting to run back on defense. Bassey said the swing was weak and that he expected Smart to do something to get out of the game.
Smart, 32, played 16 minutes in the loss. He recorded six points, two rebounds, and one assist. The 12-year veteran joined Houston in the summer via free agency. He is currently averaging 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals over nine games, starting in one of them. This ejection marks his first since the 2023-24 season when he played for the Memphis Grizzlies.
