Marcus Smart suspended three games after punching Warriors' Charles Bassey

The NBA said on Thursday that it will suspend Houston guard Marcus Smart for three games after he threw a punch at Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey in the second half of Wednesday night’s contest. The incident occurred with 21 seconds left in the third quarter, when Smart and Bassey faced each other at the top of the key and Smart swung his right hand, making contact with Bassey’s nose. Officials assessed Smart with a Flagrant-2 foul and ejected him; he finished with six points and two rebounds in 17 minutes.

Houston coach Ime Udoka said Smart claimed his elbow was injured and that Bassey asked, “What are you going to do?” before the punch was thrown. After the altercation, Bassey described Smart’s actions as “fake toughness,” adding that he had felt Smart playing “dirty” throughout the game, including grabbing his knees and hand.

Warriors forward Draymond Green responded that the team stands together when incidents arise, while veteran forward Georges Niang said he had never witnessed such an incident and suggested that emotions can sometimes get the best of players. The league’s disciplinary action follows the ejection and the Flagrant-2 foul.