Kings' Chimezie Metu Ejected After Punching Mavs' Eugene Omoruyi in Summer League
August 15, 2021
Sacramento Kings center Chimezie Metu was ejected from Sunday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks after punching Eugene Omoruyi in the face.
Metu took exception to a hard foul from Omoruyi as he was attempting a dunk. When he got to his feet, he threw and landed a punch. Both players were ejected.
Metu was on the receiving end of a dangerous foul last season too. After dunking over then-Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas in a February matchup, Metu hung on the rim, either waiting for Valanciunas to clear the way for him to land or to taunt him. Either way, Valanciunas took exception, grabbing Metu by the leg and throwing him to the floor.
Metu broke his wrist on the landing and was out nearly six weeks.
It's possible that incident was still fresh in Metu's memory after Omoruyi's dangerous foul under the basket. That, of course, doesn't excuse throwing a punch at a player.
Metu, 24, is heading into his second season with the Kings after spending his first two years in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. He appeared in 36 games for the Kings last year, averaging 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game.
Omoruyi, 24, was signed by the Mavs to a two-way deal this summer. He averaged 17.1 points per game with the Oregon Ducks last season.