A wrestling match during Wednesday night’s Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns game led to two ejections and one player being bloodied. Houston’s Steven Adams and Phoenix’s Mason Plumlee were both ejected after a physical altercation under the net where they were seen wrestling each other to the ground. Plumlee explained that they got tied up and he responded with physicality to Adams’ aggressive play. Both players were jostling for a rebound when Adams lifted Plumlee off the court and brought him to the ground. The scuffle continued on the ground until they were separated by coaches, teammates, and officials. Plumlee left the court with a cut above his eyebrow, which he deemed as “nothing major.”
Houston coach Ime Udoka expressed surprise at the decision to eject both players, stating that it seemed like they simply threw each other down and got into a wrestling match, which he did not think warranted ejections. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer shared a similar sentiment, referring to the incident as just two guys getting tangled up in a physical game. Despite the altercation, Houston’s Jalen Green led the Rockets to a 111-104 victory over Phoenix, extending their winning streak to four games. The Associated Press contributed to the report, and readers are encouraged to follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on their platforms and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter for more updates.
Plumlee responded to the incident by mentioning that Adams had been aggressive in going for rebounds, prompting him to respond with physicality to match their opponents’ level of play. Plumlee felt that Houston was being more physical than Phoenix, so he made a point to hit Adams on the glass. The altercation occurred with around three minutes remaining in the second quarter when both players were vying for a rebound and got entangled, leading to the wrestling match that ended in ejections for both players. Despite Plumlee leaving the court with a bleeding cut, he downplayed the injury, calling it “nothing major.”
Houston’s Udoka was taken aback by the decision to eject both players, as he believed that they simply fell and got into a wrestling match without any major offenses being committed. Similarly, Suns coach Budenholzer viewed the incident as just two competitors getting tangled up in the heat of the game. Despite the ejections, Houston managed to secure a 111-104 victory over Phoenix, with Jalen Green scoring 29 points to lead the Rockets to their fourth consecutive win. The physical altercation added intensity to the game, but ultimately did not deter Houston from extending their winning streak.
In the aftermath of the altercation, Plumlee and Adams were both ejected from the game for their involvement in the wrestling match under the net. Plumlee emphasized that he responded with physicality to counter Adams’ aggressive play in going for rebounds. Despite the scuffle resulting in Plumlee leaving the court with a bleeding cut, he assured that it was not a major injury. Both Houston and Phoenix coaches expressed surprise at the ejections, with Udoka believing that the incident did not warrant such consequences and Budenholzer viewing it as a typical physical encounter between competitors. The game ended with Houston’s victory and extending their winning streak to four games. Readers are encouraged to follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter for more updates on the latest sports news and analysis.
