Marcus Smart suspended three games after punching Warriors' Charles Bassey

The NBA said on Twitter that Rockets guard Marcus Smart has been suspended for three games without pay after throwing a punch that made contact with Warriors forward Charles Bassey's face. The incident occurred with 21 seconds left in the third quarter of Wednesday's game in Houston, when the two players were arguing and Smart delivered a right jab that grazed Bassey's nose. Bassey was not injured.

Smart was assessed a flagrant-two foul and ejected, and he left the court before officials reviewed the play. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said Smart was upset because Bassey had previously wrapped his elbow, an injury Smart suffered earlier in the season, and confronted him as the Rockets trailed.

Bassey later said he had provoked Smart, claiming Smart was not focused on playing. The league’s disciplinary action will cost Smart $125,462 of his $6,064,000 salary for the season. The Rockets will receive a tax-variance credit of $62,731, slightly improving their financial position near the luxury-tax threshold. Smart's suspension will begin with Friday's game against Utah and will also cause him to miss Sunday’s contest in Washington and Monday’s game in Miami.