The NBA on Sunday suspended five players involved in a skirmish during Friday night’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Miami Heat.
Heat center Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado were suspended for three games for fighting and leaving the bench area. Heat guards Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall each received one-game suspensions.
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Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (left) and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (right) get into a scuffle during a game in New Orleans on Friday, February 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Butler will forfeit his base salary of $260,000 as a result of his suspension. His remaining suspension will cost the other four players a total of about $115,000.
The scrap occurred late in the fourth quarter after Zion Williamson committed a hard foul while attempting a layup. Kevin Love did his best to stop Williamson.
Williamson hit the floor hard and several teammates ran over to make sure he was okay, one of them pushing Love away. Butler came back on his own back, and that’s when he and Marshall faced off. As they were biting each other, Marshall put his right hand around Butler’s throat, so members of both teams had to separate them.
Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant (right) is restrained by Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas after getting into a scuffle with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado on Friday, February 23, 2024 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
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Other postgame footage showed Thomas Bryant, who was not yet in the game, punching Jose Alvarado, causing another commotion near the scorer’s box.
At that time, fans were seen throwing objects at the players.
Butler said he didn’t think he should have been ejected.
“I put my hands around his neck, and he put his hands around mine,” she said of the incident with Marshall. “And that’s exactly how it went.”
Alvarado, Butler, Bryant and Marshall were ejected.
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (top left) climbs onto a chair and is surrounded by teammates after a scuffle with Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant on Friday, February 23, 2024 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
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The Heat won 106-95.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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