Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is among five players suspended without pay for their roles in Friday night’s on-court altercation with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Butler and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall were each suspended one game for “instigating and engaging in” an on-court altercation, the NBA announced Sunday.
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Heat center Thomas Bryant were suspended three games each for leaving the bench area during the on-court altercation and fighting.
Miami forward Nikola Jovic was also suspended one game for leaving the bench.
The altercation started after Pelicans forward Zion Williamson stole the ball from Butler and went up for a layup. Heat forward Kevin Love wrapped up Williamson — who later told reporters he thought the move was meant to protect him from a fall — at the 11:19 mark of the fourth quarter.
Butler and Marshall got into it at that point and had to be separated on the court. Alvarado and Bryant met at the scorer’s table and started fighting after the initial scuffle had been broken up.
Butler, Marshall, Alvarado and Bryant were ejected. Love was assessed a common foul.
“It felt like Jimmy shouldn’t have gotten a game on that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Sunday at practice in Sacramento, where Miami will play on Monday. “It was really just kind of tangling and a little bit of pushing. I don’t think that deserves another game because he ended up having to miss the fourth quarter (Friday). But it is what it is. Nobody wants to see it escalate to that point.”
Butler will lose $259,968 because of the suspension — by far the most among the five players receiving bans. Bryant will be docked $52,308, while Jovic will lose $12,655. For the Pelicans, Alvarado will lose $37,988 and Marshall $11,096.
The Pelicans lost to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night. Marshall served his suspension then, while Alvarado missed the loss and will miss the upcoming road trip against the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.
Butler and Jovic will miss the Heat’s Monday game against the Kings, while Bryant won’t be available for the rest of Miami’s road trip, which also has stops in Portland on Tuesday and Denver on Thursday.
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