Rockets' Marcus Smart suspended three games for punching Warriors' Charles Bassey
Photo: The GuardianThe NBA suspended Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart for three games without pay on Thursday after he threw a punch that made contact with the face of Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey. The incident came late in the third quarter of Wednesday's game in Houston, which the Rockets won 115-108. After the two became tangled up, Smart chased Bassey and swung; teammates and officials separated them, and referees assessed Smart a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected him. Smart will miss games against Utah, Washington and Miami and can return Nov. 18 against Indiana. Earlier, Stephen Curry left in the first quarter with right abdominal soreness and did not return, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr said concern was high while Curry was due for an MRI. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Smart told him Bassey bent an elbow Smart had hurt before Bassey challenged him. Bassey did not retaliate, and no further ejections followed.
Right-leaning outlets Fox News and the New York Post lead with the suspension and the punch; Fox says Smart melted down and notes his 13th career ejection, while the Post frames Bassey as keeping his hands down and having the last laugh. Both place Curry's exit lower. Left-leaning outlets The Guardian and The Washington Post take a game-recap angle: The Guardian pairs the ejection with Curry's injury and cites Draymond Green on the Warriors without Curry, while The Washington Post leads with Curry's exit and Kerr's concern. The sides agree on the punch, suspension and score; they differ on emphasis, with the right stressing Smart's conduct and Bassey's restraint and the left making Curry's injury central.
How the sides differ Right sources stress the punch and suspension; left sources lead with Stephen Curry's injury; alternative sources focus on the suspension and Bassey's account.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
- The Washington PostPaywallStephen Curry exits vs. Rockets with abdominal soreness. Steve Kerr says 'concern is high'
The Guardian leads with Smart's ejection alongside Curry's injury, citing Draymond Green's view of the team without Curry. The Washington Post leads with Curry's exit and Kerr's concern.
ESPN and CBS Sports lead with the three-game suspension and the punch's contact with Bassey's face, adding Bassey's and Udoka's accounts of the exchange.
- New York PostWarriors’ center gets last laugh as NBA suspends Rockets star for several games
- Washington TimesPaywallMarcus Smart's ejection for throwing a punch could lead to further sanction from NBA office
Fox News leads with the suspension and describes Smart as melting down, noting his 13th career ejection. The New York Post frames Bassey as keeping his hands down and getting the last laugh.