Jazz against Rockets: what happened to Jabari Smith Jr? Wild Punches Lead to Heavy Penalty for 2 NBA Stars

THE Houston Rockets completely decimated the Utah Jazz during Saturday night’s home game. The Alperen Sengun-less Rockets took a huge 30-point lead over Utah to end the first half. Although the first half was a one-sided affair, things got heated between the two teams. Jabari Smith Jr. And Kris Dunn gave fans a continuation of their altercation from the previous meeting.

It was early in the second quarter that Jabari Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn got into a physical altercation. The proceeding began with Dunn grabbing the Rockets forward jersey. It was further intensified when Dunn took a savage blow to the face from Smith. Fortunately, Dunn was unable to make contact with the Rockets star. But the two players faced each other, ready to throw punches at each other. Jabari and Dunn were separated by teammates and officials before things got out of hand. The altercation resulted in a heavy penalty for both stars who were ejected from the match.

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 wasn’t the first time Smith and Dunn faced off. In January, at the start of this season, a similar incident occurred between Dunn and Smith. The two became involved in a shoving match after the Jazz point guard hit Smith with a hard screen following a rebound attempt.

It appears the two stars have an unresolved conflict that carried over into tonight’s match and led to an even bigger fight. The results, however, had no impact on the Rockets’ lead.

The Rockets looked comfortable despite losing Jabari Smith Jr.

Jabari Smith Jr. has become a key part of the Rockets team in just two seasons. The 20-year-old sophomore has played very well all season, showing promising potential. He averages 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists. However, taming his anger would prove rather necessary for the striker, who is only making his debut. Although Jabari was ejected early in the first half, the Rockets looked comfortable in his absence.

They dominated Utah’s defense and scored 85 points in the first half. Meanwhile, the Jazz were only able to put 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, totaling 40 points. With a 30-point lead heading into the second half, the Rockets kept up the pace to post a score of 147-119. This is the team’s longest winning streak since November 2019; further helping them move closer to the Warriors in 10th place.

Jabari Smith Jr. Reveals LeBron James Trait That Influenced Him Most