The NBA announced that both Utah Jazz’s Kris Dunn and Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. have been suspended without pay following an altercation on the court during a game. Dunn will miss two games, while Smith will be sidelined for just one. The incident occurred in the second quarter of the game, with Dunn being identified as the initial aggressor. Both players exchanged swings, leading to the suspension. The video of the altercation can be watched on ESPN’s SportsCenter for more details.
Both teams, the Jazz and the Rockets, are currently ranked as the 11th and 12th seeds in the Western Conference. The Rockets have a chance of making it to the postseason as they are just one game behind the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors. Houston’s record stands at 35-35, while Utah is at 29-42, trailing the Rockets by 6.5 games. With only a few games left in the regular season for the Jazz, it seems unlikely that they will be able to catch up with the Rockets unless Houston experiences a significant slide. Despite Smith’s suspension for a game, the Rockets are on an eight-game win streak and are well-positioned to continue their strong performance.
In the game where the altercation occurred, Smith scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field. He also contributed two assists and two rebounds. Dunn, on the other hand, only scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field. Smith’s absence will be felt more over the course of one game due to his recent performances. During the Rockets’ current win streak, Smith has been averaging 14.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Head coach Ime Udoka has been utilizing him more at center in the absence of Alperen Sengun to create faster-paced, five-out offenses.
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