National Basketball Association

Tyler Herro, Amen Thompson fight leads to 6 ejections in Heat's win over Rockets

Updated Dec. 29, 2024 11:59 p.m. ET

Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of six people ejected after a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat's 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets' Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court.

Both players were thrown out, along with Rockets guard Jalen Green, coach Ime Udoka and assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier was also ejected for Miami.

Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and tossed him, with referee Marc Davis describing it as Thompson "body slams Herro."

"I didn't see it live, but I re-watched it," Udoka said. "They were in each other's face, bumping chests a little bit, and one guy's stronger than the other."

Davis said Green and Rozier escalated the altercation, while Sullivan was assessed a technical foul and ejected for unsportsmanlike comments as the referee was trying to redirect the Rockets' Alperen Sengun.

The altercation occurred after Miami had come from 12 points down in the second half to regain the lead with the help of Houston missing 11 straight shots in the fourth quarter. Herro keyed the comeback, leading all scorers and adding nine assists and six rebounds.

He believed that's what frustrated Thompson.

"Guess that's what's happens when someone's scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing," Herro said. "I'd get mad, too."

Herro said he had never spoken to Thompson, who did not talk to reporters after Sunday's game, so there was no previous bad blood between the two.

"Just two competitors going at it, playing basketball," Herro said. "It was a regular game that we were playing throughout."

Houston's Fred VanVleet had been ejected just before the fight, with Davis saying VanVleet made contact with him after being called for a 5-second violation.

Houston led 92-85 after VanVleet's layup with 8:10 to play, but the Rockets went cold, allowing Miami to tie the game when Herro found Haywood Highsmith for a 3-pointer with 4:47 to play.

Herro's jumper with 1:56 to play put the Heat on top for good.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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