Inside The Rockets

NBA Suspends Rockets' Amen Thompson After Heat Brawl

Amen Thompson will be out for the Houston Rockets for a bit.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson is in trouble with the NBA.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the league has suspended Thompson for two games for his role in the brawl between the Rockets and Miami Heat in the final minute of Sunday's game at Toyota Center.

Thompson's punishment was the harshest, but Heat guard Terry Rozier earned a one-game suspension while Tyler Herro ($25,000), Jalen Green ($35,000) and Ime Udoka ($50,000) were all fined.

The Rockets will now have the opportunity to appeal if they choose to do so. If they appeal, there's a chance that a decision would not be made until after the team plays the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow. That would allow Thompson to play against the Mavs, but the suspension could be upheld, which would force him out of Friday's game against the Boston Celtics and Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

There isn't a high likelihood of an appeal being successful, so Thompson will likely miss games on Wednesday and Friday before being reinstated by the league ahead of Sunday's matchup against LeBron James and the Lakers.

In the meantime, the Rockets will ring in the new year and prepare to play the Mavericks without Thompson in the lineup. Tipoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. CT.

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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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