Two of the biggest men on the court wrestled each other to the ground, resulting in ejections for Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee in the first half of a game between the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.
The heavyweight skirmish occurred with about 3:12 remaining in the first half of the Rockets’ 111-104 victory Tuesday in Houston. Plumlee and Adams received double technicals after assistants and referees separated them. Advertisement
“We just got tied up,” Plumlee told reporters. “He had been going to the boards and doing what he does. I just met him with physicality. You all saw it. … He goes for every rebound. He does it whether it’s dirty or not.”
The Rockets led 50-47 when the fracas occurred. Rockets guard Jalen Green took a shot from the right elbow. Plumlee, who stood in the paint, then lifted his right elbow and boxed out Adams as the two big men battled for positioning.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Adams and 6-foot-10, 254-pound Plumlee remained tangled, even after Green’s shot went through the net. Advertisement
Adams put both arms around Plumlee, who attempted to throw him off. Adams then appeared to lift Plumlee and eventually fell backward, with the Suns center landing on top of him. The two continued to exchange words and shoves on the ground before being separated and ejected.
The altercation left a cut on Plumlee’s forehead.
“Their aggressive actions were considered a fight, and by rule, fighting technical fouls carry a penalty of automatic ejections,” referee Tony Brothers said in a pool report.
Plumlee totaled four points and six rebounds in 13:16 of action. Adams totaled one point, four rebounds and an assist in 11:17 off the Rockets bench.
Green scored a game-high 29 points. Rockets starting center Alperen Senguin logged 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Forward Tori Eason totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Suns guard Bradley Beal scored 25 points in the loss. Forward Kevin Durant and guard Devin Booker chipped in 19 points apiece.
“Obviously, I’m biased, but I feel like Steve tried to pick him up and slam him, and Mason happened to just be on top of him,” Booker said of the incident. Advertisement
Plumlee averaged a career-low 4.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game through his first 65 appearances this season. Adams averaged 2.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game through 47 appearances in 2024-25.
The Rockets (41-25) will host the Dallas Mavericks (33-34) at 8 p.m. EDT Friday in Houston. The Suns (30-36) will host the Sacramento Kings (33-31) at 10 p.m. Friday in Phoenix.
