Rockets' Adams, Suns' Plumlee ejected after fight where Adams wrestles Plumlee to court
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HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Steven Adams and Phoenix’s Mason Plumlee were ejected Wednesday night after getting into a fight where Adams wrestled Plumlee to the court in the second quarter.
The two big men got tangled up fighting for a rebound with about three minutes left in the first half. The players remained intertwined as they walked away from the basket and Adams, who was facing Plumlee, then lifted him off the floor and wrestled him to the court.
Plumlee landed on top of Adams and the two continued to scuffle while on the ground as players and officials from both teams rushed over to the pileup.
They were soon separated and Plumlee was bleeding on his forehead above his right eye after being pulled away from the melee. He said he wasn’t sure why he was bleeding but that it was “nothing major.”
The play was reviewed and both players were given double technicals and ejected.
“We just got tied up,” Plumlee said. “He had been going to the boards and doing what he does, so just met him with physicality and, yeah, you all saw it.”
Plumlee was asked to further explain how things escalated into a fight.
“Look, everybody will see the clip that happened, but like he goes for every rebound and he does it whether it’s dirty or not," he said. "I just felt like they were being more physical than us, so I just made a point to hit him on the glass.”
Adams did not speak to reporters after the game.
Both coaches were surprised that Plumlee and Adams were both ejected.
“It looked like they threw each other down,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “They both fell down and whatever, got in a little wrestling match. I didn’t think they would get ejected for that.”
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer agreed.
“It’s just two guys getting tangled up,” he said. “Both physical. Both contenders.”
Phoenix star Devin Booker thought that Plumlee shouldn't have been ejected.
“I would say I’m biased, but I feel like Steve tried to pick him up and slam him,” he said. “And Mason happened to just be on top of him.”
Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the decision to eject both players to a pool reporter.
“Their aggressive actions were considered a fight and by rule, fighting technical fouls carry a penalty of automatic ejections,” he said.
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