Houston Rockets players Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green have each been suspended two games for their involvement in a postgame altercation near the Clippers locker room, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Chris Paul, James Harden and Blake Griffin, three players who were somewhat involved in the matter, did not receive any suspensions.
Sources. The NBA is suspending Houston’s Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green two games for aggressively entering Clippers locker room. No penalties for Chris Paul and James Harden.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2018
Ariza engaged in an altercation with Clippers forward Blake Griffin when the two teams met on Monday night, and then again with Clippers guard Austin Rivers — who was said to be talking trash from the bench. Both Ariza and Griffin were ejected, but little did we know, the night was only getting started.
Ariza, along with Chris Paul, James Harden, Gerald Green, Tarik Black, and reportedly Clint Capela, traveled to the Clippers locker room postgame to confront Rivers and Griffin. According to the NBA’s investigation, it was Green and Ariza who were the aggressors, thus the reason why both players received two-game suspensions.
The NBA’s investigation found that Chris Paul and James Harden followed Green and Ariza in an effort to defuse the situation postgame.
Ariza, 32, is in his 14th NBA season and fourth season with the Rockets. Back in 2009, he was suspended one game for throwing a forearm at Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan.
Green, 32, is in his 11th NBA season. He signed a deal to join the Rockets earlier in the month. Green was suspended two games by the Miami Heat in 2015 for conduct detrimental to the team.
