NBA suspends five players for roles in Heat-Pelicans fight،
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is among five players suspended without pay for their role 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 participating” 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 during the altercation and on-court fighting.
Miami forward Nikola Jovic was also suspended one game for leaving the bench.
The altercation began after Pelicans forward Zion Williamson stole the ball from Butler and made a layup. Heat forward Kevin Love tackled Williamson — who later told reporters he thought the move was to protect him from a fall — at 11:19 of the fourth quarter.
Butler and Marshall got involved at that point and had to be separated on the field. Alvarado and Bryant met at the scorer's table and began fighting after the initial scuffle ended.
Butler, Marshall, Alvarado and Bryant were ejected. Love was considered a common fault.
“I felt like Jimmy shouldn't have played a game on that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Sunday during practice in Sacramento, where Miami will play Monday. “It was really just kind of a tangle and a little push. I don't think it deserves another game because he ended up having to miss the fourth quarter (Friday). But it feels like That. Nobody wants to see it escalate to that point.”
Butler will lose $259,968 because of the suspension – by far the largest amount among the five banned players. Bryant will lose $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 then served his suspension, 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 Monday's Heat game against the Kings, while Bryant will be unavailable for the remainder of Miami's road trip, which also includes stops in Portland on Tuesday and Denver on Thursday.
