The Houston Rockets won their first-round NBA playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5, but it wasn’t without controversy.
As the first quarter came to a close Tuesday, referee Bill Kennedy apparently missed a call that made Rockets owner Leslie Alexander unhappy. But in a rather bizarre scene, Alexander decided it was a good idea to leave his courtside seats and take things up with Kennedy right then and there, with play still happening on the court.
Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon apparently attempted to grab Alexander’s arm, per ESPN’s Calvin Watkins, but to no avail. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the league now is investigating the incident.
Alexander wouldn’t talk about it, saying at halftime only that he was “upset, really upset.” But for what it’s worth, his players didn’t seem to mind the fiasco.
“He’s just the coolest guy on Earth,” James Harden said after Houston’s 105-99 win. “I would have probably ran over there and tried to help him.”
Thumbnail photo via Thomas B. Shea/USA TODAY Sports Images
