PJ Tucker of the Rockets, Dennis Schroder of Thunder was sent off in the 3rd quarter

Houston Rockets striker PJ Tucker and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder were sent off after an altercation in the third quarter of Houston’s 114-80 win in Game 5 on Saturday, with Tucker reacting to an apparent low blow by Schroder.

As Schroder ran across a Tucker screen, he swung his arm between Tucker’s legs, taking him under his belt. Tucker, who was booed for an illegal screen, approached from behind Schroder, yelling at him and eventually butting him behind the head.

“The first thing was that it was obviously an illegal screen. And it was kind of a bang-bang game,” said Thunder manager Billy Donovan. “Obviously PJ headbutted Dennis after the game was over, so they definitely had to eject him, and I didn’t know if they felt they had to eject Dennis because they ejected PJ But it was a very quick game, aggressive play, and I understand that with PJ getting kicked out maybe felt like Dennis needed to be kicked out.

“But again, it was an illegal screen. I’m not even going to speculate or even know I’m reading Dennis’s mind. It was such a bang-bang game, Dennis was just trying to find a way through the screen and hanged himself. on.”

After a review, the foul on Tucker remained, but the referees sent both players off, with Schroder given a Flagrant 2 and Tucker a dead-ball technical foul with dismissal.

After the game, the league began investigating Tucker’s warhead by having him questioned by NBA security, a source told ESPN.

“An on-screen action at the perimeter occurred as Schroder attempted to cross the screen, taking unnecessary and excessive action on Tucker’s groin,” Crew Chief James Capers explained after the match via a report on the pool. “Tucker gets up and heads Schroder. Schroder’s action is a Flagrant Penalty 2. Tucker’s action is an automatic disqualifying technical foul.

“What led us to repeat was a hostile situation,” Capers said. “So when we went there, we played well.”

The series featured some low blows, with Schroder taking a knee in the groin from James Harden in Game 1 and Chris Paul catching Ben McLemore with one in Game 3 overtime. Neither play got a review or an in-game penalty, however the Rockets were upset Paul’s elbow on McLemore was not reviewed, with D’Antoni receiving a technical foul for filing his case.

Sources told ESPN that the Rockets are upset that the league office did not investigate Paul’s Game 3 shot in McLemore’s groin and considered disciplinary action. The Rockets want a similar earlier incident by Schroder to be considered by the league office following his shot in Tucker’s groin, sources told ESPN.

As a rookie with the Atlanta Hawks, Schroder received a one-game suspension for a shot in the groin of DeMarcus Cousins ​​at the Sacramento Kings center. As in Tucker’s case, the incident occurred while Schroder was attempting to fight on a screen.

Historically, players have not been suspended for flagrant low-impact post-season, with perhaps the Warriors’ most famous incident, striker Draymond Green kicking Thunder center Steven Adams between the legs in the Western Conference Finals. 2016.

Green received a Flagrant 1 and was fined $ 25,000 the next day. The Golden State Green was suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers when the league office retroactively assessed a flagrant 1 foul for making “unnecessary contact with a retaliatory hand strike at the groin “by LeBron James. It was Green’s fourth flagrant foul of that postseason, triggering an automatic suspension.

The clash between Schroder and Tucker was in the midst of a considerable rush to Houston to take control of the game, after Schroder played a big role in keeping the Thunder close in the first half. Schroder left the game with 19 points in 21 minutes, 16 in a flurry in the second quarter. But without him the Rockets turned a three-point lead in the first half into a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter. Tucker, a pivotal piece in Houston’s small-ball attack, came out with 5 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes.

“He put PJ in a tough spot. I don’t know if it was punched or inadvertently. Who knows?” Rocket coach Mike D’Antoni said. “And then PJ gave him a pat on the back of the head with his head, and the referees decided to take them both out. I don’t have much to say. It’s a shame for both teams, but it happens. It’s the playoffs.”

The Rockets lead the 3-2 series with a chance to close the Thunder on Monday.