A tense altercation late in the game led to six ejections during the Miami Heat’s 104-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The incident began with Rockets forward Amen Thompson body-slamming Heat guard Tyler Herro, resulting in a brief but intense scuffle that saw multiple players and coaches tossed from the game.
With 35 seconds remaining and Miami leading 99-94, the altercation began when Thompson and Herro became entangled as the Heat attempted to inbound the ball. Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, an action that referee Marc Davis described as a “body slam.”
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka commented on the incident, noting that Thompson and Herro had been engaging in some chest-bumping before the altercation. “One guy’s stronger than the other,” Udoka said, adding that he hadn’t witnessed the incident in real time but later reviewed the footage.
As a result of the confrontation, Herro, Thompson, Udoka, and three other individuals were ejected. In addition to the two players, Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green, and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan also were dismissed. According to Davis, Green and Rozier escalated the situation, while the officials ejected Sullivan for making unsportsmanlike comments during the scuffle.
The altercation came after the Heat had mounted a comeback from a 12-point deficit in the second half, aided by the Rockets’ struggles in the fourth quarter, during which they missed 11 consecutive shots. Herro, who scored a game-high 27 points while also contributing nine assists and six rebounds, was instrumental in the Heat’s rally. He speculated that Thompson’s frustration stemmed from his performance.
“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said. “I’d get mad, too.”
Herro emphasized that there was no prior bad blood between him and Thompson, and that it was simply a competitive exchange during the game. “Just two competitors going at it, playing basketball,” he remarked.
The altercation occurred shortly after the referee ejected Houston’s Fred VanVleet for making contact following a five-second violation. Despite the ejections and the heated exchange, the Heat secured the win, bouncing back from a 120-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks the previous night.
Miami, which was missing second-leading scorer Jimmy Butler for the fifth straight game, was led by Herro’s all-around performance. Reflecting on the victory, Herro said, “They’re top two, three in the West. Very good defense. Got a bunch of young, athletic guys that can really play, so that’s a good win for us. That’s a stepping stone. We go 2-1 on the road. Put ourselves in a position to win yesterday, and I like how it’s going. We just got to continue to keep getting better.”
The win was a significant morale boost for the Heat as they continue to battle through a challenging stretch without Butler, with the team looking to build momentum heading into the remainder of the season.
