The NBA suspended Rockets guard Smart Marcus for three matches without pay “for throwing a punch coming into contact with the face” of Warriors big man Charles Basseythe league announced (via Twitter).
The incident occurred 21 seconds into the third quarter of Wednesday’s game between the two teams in Houston (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area). Smart and Bassey chewed back and forth, then Smart launched a forehand that visibly grazed Bassey’s nose. Bassey was not injured and appeared unfazed by the altercation.
The two players were quickly separated and Smart left the field on his own before the play was even reviewed for an ejection, notes ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Smart’s instincts were correct in this regard, as he was called for two flagrant fouls and ejected.
According to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, Smart and Bassey were tangled in the post at the other end of the court due to possession before the incident occurred. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said after the game that Smart was upset that Bassey had wrapped Smart’s elbow, which he had injured earlier in the season, and confronted Bassey about it as they followed the action.
Bassey admitted to “baiting” Smart, who had “played dirty the whole game.”
“I knew he was going to do something“, Bassey said. “I urged him to do something, because I knew he was going to do something. I don’t think he was trying to play. I think he was trying to get out of the game. He wasn’t trying to play…I think he was trying to relax. He wasn’t trying to hoop, bro.”
Smart’s three-game suspension will cost him dearly $125,462 on his $6,064,000 salary for this season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The Rockets, meanwhile, will benefit from a tax gap credit worth $62,731. While that doesn’t sound like much, it will give them a little more financial flexibility: They were just $14,077 below the luxury tax threshold before Smart’s suspension, Marks adds.
Smart, a former defensive player of the year, will begin his suspension Friday against Utah and will also be out for Sunday’s game at Washington and Monday’s game at Miami.
Gn sports
