NBA stars ejected for squaring up to each other in heated scuffle… before teammates rush in to break it up
Jordan Clarkson and Ron Holland II were thrown out of the Jazz-Pistons game after raising their fists during a heated scuffle.
In the third quarter of Thursday’s game in Detroit, Pistons big man Paul Reed secured a bucket in the paint to bring his team within 12 points, 81-93.
As he turned around, he encountered Clarkson, who refused to get out of the way after the play. Reed extended his forearm to the Jazz star to get past him and Colin Sexton.
But as Reed escaped Clarkson and returned to defense, Holland – who had been guarding him – stepped in front of the Philippines international and began blowing the whistle with his counterpart.
From then on, they both faced each other before teammates quickly separated them.
The technical staff from both sides also entered the field to prevent escalation. Still, both Clarkson and Holland were sent off after the incident.
Jordan Clarkson and Ron Holland Jr. were sent off after facing each other on Thursday
The Utah Jazz then defeated the Detroit Pistons 126-119 on their way to 6-20
Clarkson left the game with three points and one field goal in 14 minutes of play. Meanwhile, the Netherlands left with four points in 13 minutes.
After the eviction, Clarkson was blasted on social media for holding the “NBA record for square-ups.”
A user posted a 24-second montage of the guard facing off against several players during his NBA career. Clarkson took on a boxing stance against Goran Dragic in 2017, Jonathan Kuminga in 2022 and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 2023.
Nevertheless, the Jazz won the game 126-119, with Sexton’s 30-point night leading the way. Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen contributed 28 and 27 points, respectively.
On the other hand, Pistons star Cade Cunningham had a game-high 33 points in Detroit’s losing effort.
Both teams have struggled this season as Utah is 6-20 and Detroit is 11-17 after Thursday’s showdown.