Both benches were emptied during following the altercation. By David Yapkowitz.
The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder game turned into a minor brawl after the Thunder’s Josh Giddey and the Rockets’ Dillon Brooks exchanged pleasantries following a game stoppage. Brooks is no new to on-court shenanigans, but was he at fault in this incident?
Giddey approached Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. on the floor after a game stoppage and offered him a hand up. Smith did not acknowledge Giddey, then Giddey grabbed Smith and attempted to pull him up.
Smith was plainly angered by Giddey’s conduct, so Brooks ran over to his teammate’s help and shoved Giddey. Everything escalated from there, with members on both teams getting in one other’s faces. But who was to blame for exacerbating the situation? Fans on social media were noticeably divided on who they believed was to blame.
Some fans believed Dillon Brooks was the one who exacerbated things because of his shove and his proclivity to be present when on-court altercations occur.
Other fans were divided, with some seeing Josh Giddey as the main villain in the affair. When a player refuses to help a rival player, the opposing player typically walks away and leaves it at that.
Giddey’s attempt to pull Smith up could have worsened the situation. Perhaps Brooks would have behaved differently, but there is an argument to be made that the Rockets had every right to be unhappy by Giddey’s behavior. Some fans undoubtedly believed so.
The NBA is going to investigate the situation, and fines are likely to be imposed after the smoke clears. However, suspensions may also be reduced. The NBA has a rule that requires players who leave the bench during an altercation to serve an automatic one-game ban.
Both the Rockets and the Thunder cannot afford to lose players in this fight because they are both competing for postseason spots in the Western Conference. The Thunder have a chance to finish first, while the Rockets are battling for 10th place and a play-in spot.
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