According to a report from larrybrownsports.com, the NBA will investigate the on-court skirmish that ensued between players of the Houston Rockets and L.A. Clippers after Monday night’s game.
Monday night’s game started getting a bit chippy in the fourth quarter. The Clippers won the game, 113-102, but there were several interesting moments leading up to the final whistle (and after it), including a yelling match between Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni that resulted in a pair of technical fouls.
With just over one minute remaining on the game clock, Griffin and Rockets swingman Trevor Ariza were both ejected. It seems Ariza was a bit put off by the chatter coming from Austin Rivers, who was standing near the Clippers’ bench.
Blake Griffin gets ejected after getting into it with Trevor Ariza
pic.twitter.com/jehnkpEqoa
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 16, 2018
Austin Rivers bout that life talking trash to Trevor Ariza pic.twitter.com/s6o2dKtDWG
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) January 16, 2018
The situation heated up even more once the game was over. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that several Rockets players attempted to gain access to the Clippers’ locker room. Obviously, they were mad.
Houston Rockets’ players James Harden, Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green pushed into Clippers locker room post-game looking to confront Austin Rivers, league sources tell ESPN. Security escorted Rockets out before anything turned physical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 16, 2018
Rockets players were clamoring for Blake Griffin too, league sources said. Chris Paul also entered with other Rockers players through a backstory that connects team dressing rooms. https://t.co/BRgyHe1WgL
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 16, 2018
Somehow, a few members of the Rockets organization, including Ariza, James Harden, Gerald Green, and Clint Capela, managed to reach the Clippers’ locker room door by sneaking through a lesser-known hallway inside the arena.
Sources: As the four Rockets marched through the back hallway into the Clippers locker room, center Clint Capela knocked on the front door of Clippers entrance. Someone opened door, saw him standing there — and shut it on him.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 16, 2018
The Rockets and Clippers never came to blows on Monday night. The LAPD was on-scene to diffuse the situation, according to most reports. Now, the two teams await the NBA’s ruling.
The NBA’s investigation into the Clippers-Rockets tomfoolery began late Monday night and continues into today, league sources tell ESPN. There will be no shortage of punished individuals.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 16, 2018
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