Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Fred VanVleet Talks Ejection

Fred VanVleet was ejected late in the Houston Rockets' loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) shoots against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) shoots against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets came up short in a 104-98 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night, just 24 hours after blowing the same team out by 28 points in the Emirates NBA Cup.

With just moments until the end of the game, Fred VanVleet was ejected from the contest after arguing with officials in an expleitve-laden, NSFW rant.

VanVleet spoke more about his ejection after the game.

"I think I'm in enough trouble as it is tonight, so probably don't need to discuss too much officiating with you guys,” VanVleet said via SportsRadio 610 reporter Adam Spolane. “I'll look at the film and see. Heat of the moment you always feel right. The refs aren't trying to be wrong, but we disagreed quite a bit tonight."

The biggest disagreement came when the Rockets were trailing by three with under a minute to go and VanVleet tried drawing a foul on a 3-point shot to tie the game. No call was made, the Blazers snagged the rebound, and all chances the Rockets had to come back vanquished.

The Blazers made their free throws at the end of the game and closed out a win.

VanVleet's actions towards the refs could result in a heavy fine, or possibly even a suspension, and that decision will likely be made in the coming days.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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