Play.
Kevin Porter Jr. throws down an alley-oops.
David Nwaba passes the ball to Kevin Porter Jr., who dunks it. (0:23)
12:14 AM
Kevin Porter Jr. lost his temper during a heated halftime discussion and didn't return to the court in the second half of the Houston Rockets' loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Porter lost his temper on the bench during the first half after John Lucas challenged him, and sources said he became upset after being challenged again.
The Rockets, who have lost seven in a row, did not return to the court until the third quarter began.
"We had a spirited debate," Stephen Silas said after the game. I have certain demands of this team. I wasn't happy with the effort.
Porter was questionable to return due to his left thigh being evaluated. Porter has been bothered by a left thigh contusion for weeks, but that was not the reason for his absence after halftime, according to sources.
During his postgame comments, Silas did not mention Porter.
Christian Wood, the leading scorer in the team this season, did not start Saturday night due to breaking a team rule. Wood played only eight minutes in the first half and did not play in the second.
Wood was sitting out the second half.
A source said that potential discipline for Porter has not been determined.
Porter was inactive for the beginning of the 2020-21 season due to off-court issues after the Cleveland Cavaliers traded him for a second-round pick. Porter, the 30th overall pick in the draft, was going to be released by the Cleveland Indians after he had an argument with a teammate.
Porter was moved from wing to point guard by the Houston Rockets, so they sent him to their G League affiliate. Over the last two seasons, Porter has averaged 15.0 points and 6.1 assists per game.
