Jazz vs Rockets: What Happened to Jabari Smith Jr? Wild Punches Results in Hefty Penalty for 2 NBA Stars

The Houston Rockets absolutely decimated the Utah Jazz in the Saturday night’s home game. The Alperen Sengun-less Rockets took a massive 30-point lead over Utah to end the first half. Despite the first half being a one-sided affair, things got heated between both teams as Jabari Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn gave the fans a sequel of their altercation from the previous encounter.

It was early in the second quarter that Jabari Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn got into a physical altercation. The instance started with Dunn grabbing the Rockets’ forward’s jersey. It further escalated when Dunn took a wild swing at Smith’s face. Fortunately, Dunn failed to make contact with the Rockets star. But both players squared up, ready to throw punches at each other. Jabari and Dunn were separated by their teammates and officials before things got ugly. The altercation led to a hefty penalty for both stars as they got ejected from the game.

Kris Dunn left the game with 2 points in 6 minutes, and Jabari Smith Jr. finished his night with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 9 minutes. Tonight’s game was not the first time Smith and Dunn have locked horns. In January, early this season, a similar incident sparked between Dunn and Smith. The two got involved in a shoving match after the Jazz point guard hit Smith with a hard screen following a rebound attempt.

It looks like the two stars have an unsettled beef that got carried over to tonight’s game and led to an even bigger fight. The results of which, however, failed to impact the Rockets’ lead.

The Rockets looked comfortable despite losing Jabari Smith Jr.

Jabari Smith Jr. has become a key part of the Rockets squad in just two seasons. The 20-year-old sophomore has played great all season, showing promising potential. He is averaging 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. However, taming his anger would prove rather necessary for the forward, just marking his beginning. Although Jabari got ejected early in the first half, the Rockets looked comfortable in his absence.

They dominated Utah’s defense and scored a whopping 85 points in the first half. Meanwhile, the Jazz could only put up 55 points on the board. Fred VanVleet was on fire in the first half, scoring 23 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Jalen Green and Jeff Green also had a great half, combining for 40 points. With a 30-point lead heading into the second half, the Rockets maintained the pace to post 147-119. This marks the team’s longest win streak since November 2019; further helping them close in on the Warriors in 10th place.

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