The NBA has finally come down with suspensions for Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn over the scuffle the two players had in the second quarter of last Saturday's game in Houston. The league announced the suspensions on Sunday, via the NBA's official website.
“Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn has been suspended two games without pay for initiating an altercation and throwing a punch at Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., who has been suspended one game for fighting with Dunn, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.”
Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. gets slapped with suspension
The Rockets will be without Smith for one game after the NBA handed down a suspension on the young forward due to his role in an on-court altercation with Dunn. This is an unfortunate development for the former Auburn Tigers star, especially since his suspension came not long after he put up a stinker in a recent matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
Smith scored just five points on a poor 2-for-10 shooting from the field and 0-for-4 shooting from behind the arc in 22 minutes of action during last Thursday's 127-117 loss at home at the hands of the Bulls.
Smith was looking to recover from that bad performance when he stepped on the floor versus the Jazz but instead was able to play for just nine minutes before getting kicked out of the ball game after his scuffle with Dunn. Before he left the Jazz game, the 20-year-old Smith had generated only five points, two rebounds, and two assists while shooting 2-for-3 from the field in the nine minutes he was inside the court. The Rockets still won the game, though, to the tune of a 147-119 score to extend their win streak to eight games.
Kris Dunn also gets suspended
Dunn got a harsher suspension from the league, as he will be out for the next Jazz games for his role in the altercation. The league gave him a slightly more serious penalty after the NBA determined that he initiated the fight. It did not help Dunn's case that he also threw a punch at Smith.
The former first-round pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves coughed up just six points on 1-for-3 shooting from the field and added a rebound in the six minutes he saw action against the Rockets. Dunn, who has not scored more than eight points in any of his last seven outings, will be eligible to come back from his suspension on Mar. 29 against, interestingly enough, the Rockets again, but it's going to be in Salt Lake City. Hopefully for Smith and Dunn, they have already put the altercation behind them and will not let their history distract them the next time they share the court.
On the season, Dunn, who is a product of the Providence Friars basketball program, is averaging 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists with a 47.1 field goal percentage,
When will Jabari Smith Jr. return from suspension?
As for Smith, he will be eligible to get back to action from his suspension on Wednesday when the Rockets kick off a two-game road trip with a showdown against the powerful side of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before that, the Rockets will play the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Monday night, which Smith is scheduled to miss.
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