The NBA has announced suspensions for five players involved in an on-court altercation during Friday night’s game between the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Miami’s Jimmy Butler and New Orleans’ Naji Marshall each received one-game suspensions for their roles in instigating the incident. Additionally, Miami’s Thomas Bryant and New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado were both handed three-game suspensions for fighting and leaving the bench area. Miami’s Nikola Jovic was also suspended for one game for leaving the bench area and entering the altercation.
Butler expressed disagreement with his ejection from the game, emphasizing that he and Marshall were both involved in the physical altercation. The suspensions will result in significant financial losses for the players, with Butler alone facing nearly a $260,000 loss in base salary.
Technical fouls
The altercation began after a foul by Miami’s Kevin Love on New Orleans’ Zion Williamson under the Pelicans’ basket. Following the foul, Butler and Marshall engaged in a physical altercation, leading to further confrontation between Alvarado and Bryant.
All four players involved in the initial incident received technical fouls and were ejected from the game, which the Heat ultimately won 106-95.
As a result of the suspensions, Alvarado will miss games against the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers, while Marshall will be absent from the Pelicans’ game against the Bulls.
Butler and Jovic will sit out when the Heat visit the Sacramento Kings, and Bryant will miss that game along with matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. Bryant notably played for the Nuggets last season when they defeated the Heat in the NBA Finals.
