Report: Trevor Ariza Was Biggest Aggressor in Rockets, Clippers Altercation
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski shed a little more light on a locker room incident between members of the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers after Los Angeles' 113-102 win on Monday night.
According to Wojnarowski, Rockets forward Trevor Ariza was the "most aggressive and determined" to enter the Clippers' locker room from a back hallway. Rockets teammates Chris Paul and James Harden were also at the scene and attempting to calm Ariza down.
Wojnarowski had previously reported some Rockets players had been upset with Blake Griffin and Austin Rivers.
Griffin bumped Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni during the game, which sparked a brief argument between the two. Rivers, meanwhile, was "especially belligerent from the bench" when talking trash to Rockets players, according to Wojnarowski.
Ariza, Paul, Harden and Gerald Green gained entrance into the Clippers locker room before Clippers team personnel and Staples Center security ushered them out and back to the Houston locker room. Ashley Brewer of ABC Los Angeles reported the Los Angeles Police Department had been alerted to the ongoing scuffle as well.
USA Today's Sam Amick provided even more detail:
"Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan, who did not play because of an ankle injury, was the first to respond to the unwelcome visitors when he stood up from his nearby locker. Words were exchanged, with always-outspoken Clippers point guard Pat Beverley among the most vocal. With staff members closing the front door of the locker room so that Rockets in the hallway couldn’t enter from that direction, Clippers security officials intervened before any punches were thrown."
Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley couldn't contain their amusement at the situation on TNT's Inside the NBA on Monday night:
While the details of the story are certainly entertaining, the consequences may not be so fun for either team.
The Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner reported the NBA is investigating the altercation, with fines or suspensions on the table depending on how seriously the league takes things. Losing any one of Paul, Harden or Ariza to suspension would be a relatively big blow for the Rockets as they look to hold onto the second seed in the Western Conference.
