The NBA has rendered its verdict after the brouhaha between the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
The league announced Sunday that Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall have each been suspended one game without pay for instigating the altercation. Heat center Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado have been suspended three games each for engaging in a fight. Meanwhile, Heat forward Nikola Jovic has been suspended one game for leaving the bench area to join the altercation.
The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of Miami’s eventual 106-95 win in New Orleans. Kevin Love of the Heat brought down Zion Williamson of the Pelicans on an inside shot attempt, and Marshall took exception to the play. Butler started getting physical with Marshall, and the two went at it.
Several moments later, tempers flared again as Bryant and Alvarado went from jawing at each other to throwing punches. That was the scuffle that Jovic, who wasn’t on the court at the time, came running in to join.
You can watch the video of the incident here.
The suspensions are about what was expected on New Orleans’ end. But Miami should probably consider itself lucky that only Butler, Bryant and Jovic were suspended. The footage of the incident showed that several other Heat players, including Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin, appeared to leave the bench area during the altercation. Those would have triggered automatic one-game suspensions identical to the one that Jovic received. Instead, the NBA has decided to end it at three players suspended for the Heat and two players suspended for the Pelicans.
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