Trevor Ariza

Rockets' Trevor Ariza tried to confront Mavs player in locker room after game

Published Dec. 28, 2016 7:30 a.m. ET

Kerouac Smith

The Houston Rockets completed a season sweep of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night -- and that's probably a good thing for all involved.

Tuesday's 123-107 victory -- the Rockets' fourth against the Mavericks this season -- was marred by eight technical fouls and plenty of chippy play.

After the game, tensions only got higher.

Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, ejected from the game after a confrontation with Salah Mejri, waited for the Dallas center outside the locker room after the game.

According to reports, Ariza was angry with Mejri over comments he made during the game about Ariza's wife and children. Several of Ariza's teammates -- and plenty of Dallas security -- stood with Ariza as he fumed. Mejri denied saying anything about Ariza's family, though he said Ariza was doing plenty of swearing at him during the game.

https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/813975439655849984

Inside the locker room, Mejri reportedly had to be held back from confronting Ariza and was eventually escorted by Mavericks security to his vehicle in an underground parking lot.

Ariza wasn't the only one offended, however. Patrick Beverley, who missed the game with an injury, waited in a golf cart outside Dallas coach Rick Carlisle's postgame press conference to heckle him on his way out.

"Don't get mad at us for just playing basketball, brother!" Beverley hollered down the hallway as Carlisle walked away, never turning. "Good luck the rest of the season, brother!" Beverley added.

"I don't know what they was on tonight," Rockets guard James Harden said of the Mavericks. "That other team was trippin' tonight, just disrespectful, unprofessional, players and coaches. I don't know what was their problem, but I think that got us going.

"They wanted to throw a little cheap shot and just woke us up a little bit, and it was over from there."

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