The Western Conference heavyweight Houston Rockets met the Utah Jazz on Monday night, with the contest ending in a one-sided, 125-105 win for head coach Ime Udoka's team.
However, the night was marred by an ugly injury to Utah's Vince Williams Jr., who was subjected to a push by Houston's Tari Eason on a Rockets fast break. Williams fell to the floor immediately after contact, and was helped off the court by the medical staff and escorted to the locker room as he couldn't put pressure on his leg.
Williams is suspected to have a season-ending ACL injury, and Eason is catching major flak online for the dangerous play.
Fans took to X to vent their frustration and target Eason, calling for his suspension. Here are some notable reactions:
Williams Jr. is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday in Salt Lake City, but the early signs don't look good. After the game, Eason went to the Jazz locker room to apologize.
“I‘ve known Vince for a little bit and he’s just a really good dude, hard working dude,” Eason told the Deseret News. “It was just respect. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, and I know it’s his contract year. ... I didn’t intend on doing anything. My intentions are always just to play hard. So I went to go holler and just check on him. Obviously nothing helps, but just tell him that I apologize. You know, nobody’s trying to hurt anybody.”
While Eason apologized in good faith, fans are speculating that he potentially ended Williams' career.
"Tari Eason literally shoved Vince Williams Jr. while Vince was running at an angle and he tore his ACL," a fan posted. "If this wasn't the NBA he would be arrested for this [expletive]. How do dirty players keep getting away with this?"
Said another, "I'm not even gonna lie. Tari Eason is the most u likeable player ever. Like usually ur a good player and just dirty like dray or brooks but he is legit the DEFINITION OF [EXPLETIVE] doing cardio."
The incident has caused Eason to develop a reputation as a "dirty player," a title that is usually reserved for players like Draymond Green or Dillon Brooks. Eason is in his fourth year in the NBA and has proven to be a handy role player for the Rockets. The power forward is averaging 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, providing critical frontcourt minutes.