Who said the NBA is no longer a physical league? Hulking centers Mason Plumlee of the Phoenix Suns and Steven Adams of the Houston Rockets may have something to say about that after getting into a heated moment during the first half of Wednesday's game at Toyota Center in Houston.
The scuffle started shortly after a two-point jumper by Rockets star Jalen Green. During the ensuing inbound play, Adams appeared to put his arms under Plumlee's. The Suns center then pushed back, resulting in the two vets falling to the ground, as players and coaches immediately rushed to the scene to break up the two.
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Steven Adams and Plumlee were later slapped with double technical fouls for their actions, resulting in a double ejection, with referee Tony Brothers making the announcement.
Before they exited the game, Adams had a point, four rebounds and an assist in just 11 minutes of action off the bench, while Plumlee, who started for the Suns, had four points and six boards in 13 minutes.
Plumlee's ejection left the Suns with an even slimmer situation in the frontcourt, as center Nick Richards was not available to play in the Rockets game because of an ankle issue. Meanwhile, Adams' departure from the contest had the Rockets losing someone who can give Alperen Sengun a breather. The Rockets also did not have Amen Thompson in the game.
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Fans also have lots of things to say about the scuffle between Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee, who, interestingly enough, has some sort of heartwarming history. A few years ago, when Adams and Plumlee were still playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, respectively, the two went viral after Adams made sure to break Plumlee's fall during a play under the basket.
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As for the game itself, the Rockets ended up beating the Suns, 111-104.
Green led Houston with 29 points while Sengun had 20. The struggling Suns were paced by Bradley Beal's 25 points.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.