Miami Heat's Markieff Morris Continues to Make Progress

Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris is with the team in Phoenix

Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris is taking steps in the right direction to returning to the lineup. 

Morris met the team in Phoenix Friday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Morris has missed the past 30 games with a neck injury. 

Markieff Morris met the Heat in Phoenix after traveling to the West Coast for a doctor's appointment. Spoelstra said Morris "was able to go through some practice today."

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) January 7, 2022

Morris has been sidelined since getting pushed from behind by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in early November. Both players were ejected. Morris, who was acquired in the offseason, has continued his feud with Jokic. On Tuesday, he referred to Jokic as a "300-pound sloppy fat boy." 

It was the first of two on-court incidents for the Heat this season. On Friday, Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro were fined $25,000 for their roles in an on-court altercation

Following an on-ball screen set by Nurkic that knocked Herro to the court, Herro initiated the altercation by pursuing Nurkic and shoving him in the back. Nurkic retaliated by pushing at Herro’s face with an open left hand.

The incident, for which Nurkic and Herro each received a technical foul and were ejected, occurred with 59.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 115-109 victory over Portland on Jan. 5 at Moda Center.

After Saturday's game against the surging Phoenix Suns, they play at the Atlanta Hawks before returning home to face the Hawks again. 

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