Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood were both called out by Rockets’ assistant coach John Lucas during halftime of their blowout loss to the Nuggets.
Porter Jr. responded by throwing an object and then having to be separated by Lucas, Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic report.
When Porter Jr. received notice that he wasn’t playing in the second half, he left the arena by driving away rather than sticking with his team on the bench.
Porter Jr. was apologetic about the whole incident, a Rockets source told Iko.
Wood refused to play in the second half, as he was initially held out of the starting lineup due to missing a mandatory COVID-19 test earlier in the day. Wood ended up playing eight minutes in the first half, however, as he was held scoreless.
No disciplinary action has been announced against either player as of yet, but there’s a good chance a suspension or fine could be handed down.
More NBA Rumors, News & Notes
- Born Ready Back: Lance Stephenson is back for his third stint with the Pacers on a 10-day deal, they announced in a press release. Stephenson has averaged 9.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game across 298 games with the franchise.
-
Several Pacers Enter Protocols: Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze and T.J. Warren have all entered the health and safety protocols, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. LeVert has been on a tear recently, as he averaged 21.6 points per game in the month of December.
-
Villanova Great Comes to New York: The Knicks signed Ryan Arcidiacono to a 10-day hardship deal, according to Charania. There’s a good chance that the Villanova product could stick around for the entire season.
-
Biyombo Returns: With Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee in the health and safety protocols, the Suns signed Bismack Biyombo to a 10-day deal, according to Wojnarowski. Biyombo averaged 5.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 66 games with the Hornets last season.
-
Bucks Sign Kornet: The Bucks signed Luke Kornet to a 10-day deal, according to Charania. Bucks currently have several players in the health and safety protocols.
-
Buy or Sell? Although the Celtics finished 2021 with a huge win over the Suns, they still went 6-9 in December. With them competing with several teams for a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are faced with a tough decision on whether to buy or sell, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes.
-
Spurs Make a Move: The Spurs signed Jaylen Morris to a 10-day deal, according to Charania. Doug McDermott and Lonnie Walker are currently in the health and safety protocols.
-
Magic Get Four Players Back: Mo Bamba, Mychal Mulder, Terrence Ross and Hassani Gravett have all exited the health and safety protocols, the Magic announced on Twitter. They’ll all be available for Sunday night’s game against the Celtics.
