The Houston Rockets completed a season sweep of the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night, and the two rivals had several heated exchanges before and after the game.
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After the game, Rockets forward Trevor Ariza waited outside the Mavericks' locker room to confront Dallas center Salah Mejri. According to ESPN's Calvin Watkins, Mejri made inappropriate comments about Ariza's wife and children between the third and fourth quarters.
Ariza received his second technical foul of the game for something he said to Mejri in retaliation, and he was ejected. Ariza, Patrick Beverley, Eric Gordon, James Harden and two security guards waited for Mejri outside the Dallas locker room, but Mejri knew Ariza was out there. Mejri denied the accusations to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
"He was swearing and bulls—-," Mejri said. "Ask him. He's out there. Ask him."
Eventually, Mavericks guard Deron Williams stepped outside the locker room and spoke with Ariza to calm him down, and he eventually left without further confrontation.
Beverley, who didn't play, was upset at Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle after the game.
What we experienced today as a team. Was the upmost disrespect. And total disrespect to Us and the GAME OF BASKETBALL...Still got the W tho
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) December 28, 2016
The game included eight technical fouls, two flagrant fouls against the Dallas and Ariza's ejection.
"I don't know what they were on tonight," Harden said. "That other team was tripping tonight. They were disrespectful, were unprofessional players and coaches. I don't know what was their problem, but I think that got us going. They wanted to throw a little cheap shot and just woke us up a little bit, and it was over from there."
The two teams are trending in totally different directions. The Rockets are 24-9 and among the best teams in the NBA, while the Mavericks are 9-23 and heading toward the lottery.
(h/t ESPN)
