Kevin Porter leaves arena after halftime confrontation with John Lucas

Houston Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. lost his temper during a heated halftime discussion and didn’t return to the court, leaving the Toyota Center during the second half of Saturday’s 124-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets, sources told ESPN. Porter became upset after assistant coach John Lucas challenged him, revisiting an issue that led to Porter losing his composure on the bench during the first half, sources said. The Rockets, who trailed 77-55 at halftime of their seventh consecutive loss, did not return to the court until moments before the third quarter began. “We had a spirited debate,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said during his postgame media availability. “I have certain demands of this team as far as playing hard. … I wasn’t satisfied with the effort.”