Amen Thompson throws Tyler Herro to the court, sparking fight in Heat's win over Rockets
Amen Thompson, Tyler Herro and four others were ejected in the brawl on Sunday night in Houston
Amen Thompson and Tyler Herro sparked a fight that led to six ejections in the final seconds of the Miami Heat's 104-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
With about 30 seconds left at the Toyota Center, Herro and Thompson were jostling for position ahead of an inbounds pass when things suddenly erupted. Thompson then suddenly got into Herro's face and grabbed him by the collar before he ripped him down to the floor. Instantly, Thompson and Herro were swarmed by both teams onto the pile as chaos ensued.
It took several assistant coaches, staff members and even arena security to diffuse the situation. Herro was seen clapping at Thompson as they were both being held back.
AMEN THOMPSON AND TYLER HERRO GET IN LATE-GAME SCUFFLE 😱
(via FanDuel Sports Network)
pic.twitter.com/9D9tt1kDga— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 30, 2024
"I didn't see it live, but I rewatched it," said Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who was also ejected, via The Associated Press. "They were in each other's face, bumping chests a little bit, and one guy's stronger than the other."
That naturally led to a slew of ejections, including Thompson, Jalen Green, Houston head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier and Herro were both ejected for the Heat. It's unclear what sparked the incident specifically. Fred VanVleet was ejected on the previous play in an unrelated incident.
"I guess that’s what happens when someone is scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said, via the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “I’d get mad, too.”
Despite the chaotic final sequence, the Heat held on down the stretch to grab a four-point win. Herro had a team high 27 points and nine assists for Miami, which improved to 16-14 with the victory. Nikola Jović added 18 points off the bench, and Haywood Highsmith finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Dillon Brooks led the Rockets with 22 points in the loss. Alperen Şengün finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds, and Green had 19 points before he was ejected. Thompson had just five points off the bench. The loss was the second straight for Houston, which dropped to 21-11 on the year.
Thompson has averaged 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds largely off the bench this season, his second in the league. The Rockets selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023. While everybody involved with Sunday night's fracas is sure to get hit with a penalty from the league in the coming days as a result, whether that's a fine or a multi-game suspension, Thompson's is sure to be the worst.