The Houston Rockets and LA Clippers battled through a contentious game with the Clippers coming out on top 113-102. Blake Griffin was ejected, Austin Rivers was talking trash from the bench, and even Mike D’Antoni was yelling at Clippers players. There were elbows thrown and hard fouls given by both teams throughout the duration of the game.
Tempers were boiling over and after the game, Trevor Ariza, Chris Paul, Gerald Green and James Harden found an alternate entrance to the Clippers locker room and entered to confront Blake Griffin and Austin Rivers.
Here are more details from Woj:
Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza and stars Chris Paul and James Hardenmarched through a back corridor and into the Clippers’ locker room late Monday night, suggesting that they wanted to confront Clippers players Austin Rivers and Blake Griffin, league sources told ESPN.
Rockets guard Gerald Green joined Ariza, Paul and Harden through the connecting hallway and breached the entrance of the home team’s locker room.
Stunned Clippers players, celebrating a 113-102 victory, leaped to their feet upon the realization that four seething Rockets players had come calling for them, sources told ESPN.
For a few fleeting moments, several Clippers dared the Rockets to come farther into the room, sources said. Security and team officials soon converged on the Rockets, pushing them out the door and back toward the visiting locker room, sources said. Ariza was described as the first one through the door, with Paul lingering in the back, witnesses told ESPN.
The upset Rockets were apparently in the locker room to confront Austin Rivers who had been yelling at Rockets players while in street clothes on the bench. They also had issues with Blake Griffin after Mike D’ Antonio screamed “F— you,” at Griffin as he brushed past him in the final minutes of the game as he was walking to the locker room after being ejected.
Rockets center Clint Capela also tried to enter the front door of the Clippers locker room after the game but was turned away by security.
The NBA will be investigating and some harsh punishment is sure to come down. This is probably not the best way to celebrate MLK day.
Flip the page to see how Blake Griffin responded and for video from Woj.