The Houston Rockets made it nine wins in a row on Monday with an impressive 110-92 victory over a struggling Portland Trail Blazers side. The Rockets had to go into battle on Monday without their starting power forward as Jabari Smith Jr. served his one-game suspension for fighting Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn in their previous game.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was asked to comment on Smith’s current predicament, to which the 46-year-old responded with a brutally honest remark.
Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. Throws Punch at Jazz Guard Kris Dunn
Tempers flared on Saturday night as Smith found himself exchanging blows with Jazz veteran Kris Dunn. It was actually Dunn who instigated the fight, which resulted in a two-game suspension for the Jazz guard.
Smith, however, was guilty as well after the former No. 3 overall pick threw a punch in the direction of his adversary:
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed during the incident. The referees, team officials, and the players were able to get a hold of both Smith and Dunn before things could escalate. Unsurprisingly, both players headed for an early shower after their immediate ejection.
Ime Udoka Fires Shot at Jabari Smith Jr.
While Coach Udoka didn’t exactly throw Smith under the bus, the second-year head coach did acknowledge the fact the Rockets youngster’s actions were inexcusable — regardless of the circumstances. Udoka also dropped a savage reminder for Smith about making his punches count:
“If a guy grabs you, you’re gonna react, but the throwing punches is the thing, so he’ll learn from that,” Udoka said, via Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610. “If you’re not gonna land the punch you might as well not throw it.”
To be fair, Smith would have probably been in much more trouble if he had been more accurate with his punches. I guess that’s why he’s a basketball player and not a boxer.
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