Nikola Jovic and four others were suspended by the NBA after Friday’s fight between the Heat and the Pelicans

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended five players as a result of the brawl that occurred at the end of the February 23 game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Miami Heat. The suspensions range from one to three games for those sanctioned.

For the Heat, forwards Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic were suspended, with one game each, and center Thomas Bryant, with a three-game suspension without pay. On the Pelicans side, forward Naji Marshall received one game and Jos Alvarado will miss the next three.

The league detailed that Butler and Marshall were suspended for instigating and engaging in an on-court fight. The punishment against Bryant and Alvarado was for leaving the bench area during an on-court fight and fighting. Jovic was punished for leaving the bench area and getting into an on-court fight.

The reason for the punishment

The fight began when Miami’s Kevin Love fouled New Orleans’ Zion Williamson with 11:19 left in the fourth quarter. Immediately, Butler and Marshall began fighting each other and then Alvarado and Bryant came off the bench to fight on their own.

When things seemed to have calmed down, a new fight broke out near the Heat bench, this time involving Jovic. Analysts attribute the dispute to the leniency of the referees throughout the match, in which they allowed several illegal actions to pass without punishing the guilty parties.

The Heat ended up winning the game 106-95. Alvarado, Bryant, Butler, and Marshall were assessed technical fouls and were ejected from the game.

When will they serve their punishments?

Alvarado and Marshall began serving their suspensions Sunday night in the game against the Chicago Bulls. Bryant, Butler, and Jovic’s suspensions will begin on Monday, February 26, against the Sacramento Kings.

Bryant will return on Saturday, March 2, for the game against the Utah Jazz, while Alvarado will return on Friday, March 1, in the game against the Indiana Pacers.



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