Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey may have been punched in the face by Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart, but he's still standing on business. With the shot clock off in the third quarter of their Wednesday night clash and the Rockets leading by six points, 82-76, Smart ran full speed from the backcourt and gave Bassey a shove before throwing a punch to the Warriors big's face — getting himself ejected in the process.
The two were going at one another while fighting for a loose ball on the other end, and Smart, according to Ime Udoka, took exception to Bassey's purportedly rough play that put his elbow, which he had hurt, in harm's way. But for the Warriors center, he was simply giving Smart a dose of his own medicine.
“He's been playing dirty the whole game. I remember, in the first half, I was trying to save the ball and he was grabbing my knee. He was playing dirty. I was trying to get the rebound, he was grabbing my hand, and I was trying to run back on defense so [I extended my arms],” Bassey told reporters after the game, via Anthony Slater of ESPN.
“He got up on me and swung. Obviously, that was weak. Fake toughness. I don't think he was trying to play. I think he was trying to get himself out of the game. He wasn't trying to hoop.”
Article Continues Below“He wasn't trying to hoop… fake toughness.”
Charles Bassey speaks on the altercation with Marcus Smart 😳
(via @anthonyVslater) pic.twitter.com/GS6kQvi4HF https://t.co/xK73gAY5D1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 12, 2026
Smart received an early trip to the locker room after the officials called a flagrant foul penalty two on him. The Rockets guard has a history of letting his emotions get the best of him. Back during his days in Oklahoma State, he got into a physical confrontation with a fan.
It's likely for the NBA to hand out a suspension to Smart considering that he threw and landed a punch, and that should vindicate the Warriors big man even further.