Marcus Smart called out for 'fake toughness' after throwing punch at Warriors' Charles Bassey

The Rockets guard was ejected on Wednesday and will likely face a suspension after getting heated with Bassey

Nov 12, 2026 at 8:35 am ET • 2 min read

Things got heated between the Rockets and Warriors on Wednesday, with Marcus Smart getting ejected late in the third quarter for throwing a punch at the head area of Golden State's Charles Bassey. 

Smart and Bassey had gotten tangled up on the other end. After they disconnected and Bassey made his way back on defense, Smart chased after Bassey from behind, made contact, swung around to his front side, and threw the blow that is likely going to lead to a suspension. 

What did Bassey do, or say, that got Smart so riled up?

"I just talked to [Smart]. He said they got wrapped up, and [Smart]'s elbow that he hurt got bent up," Rockets coach Ime Udoka explained after the game. "So, [Smart] said something to him. Bassey said, 'What are you going to do?' And he did it."

You can see a better view of the play here. 

Smart was hit with a flagrant-2 foul, which carries an automatic ejection (the 13th of Smart's career). Smart didn't stick around long after he threw the punch. As players were being separated to keep things from escalating any further, Smart almost immediately took off his elbow sleeve and walked straight to the locker room. He knew he was gone. 

As for Bassey's side of the story, the Warriors' big man said Smart was "playing dirty" all night.

"He's been playing dirty the whole game," Bassey said. "In the first half, I was trying to set a screen and he grabbed my knee. So I mean, he was playing dirty. [On the play in question], I think I was trying to get a rebound and he was grabbing my hand and I was trying to run back on defense. ... And then he got up on me and swung. Obviously that was weak. I think that was, honestly, fake toughness."

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Asked whether he said anything to Smart to set him off, Bassey explained: "He said something to me. He said something like, 'Hey, don't do that.' I said, 'Do what?' It's a grown-man's league."

As for how long Smart will be out, here's the league's wording on punches thrown from the NBA's official rule book. 

• Any player who throws a punch, whether it connects or not, has committed an unsportsmanlike act. He will be ejected following confirmation during review by instant replay and suspended for a minimum of one game. 
• A fine not exceeding $50,000 and/or suspension may be imposed upon such player(s) by the Commissioner at his sole discretion.

So Smart is out at least one game and, again, almost certainly a good chunk of cash.