Inside The Heat

NBA Suspends Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant For Pelicans Altercation

Miami Heat players suspends Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic and Thomas Bryant for their roles in skirmish against New Orleans Pelicans

Shandel Richardson

NBA Suspends Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant For Pelicans Altercation
NBA Suspends Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant For Pelicans Altercation /
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The NBA finally handed down suspensions to Miami Heat players Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic and Thomas Bryant for their roles in the altercations during Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Here's the official release from the league: 

"Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall have each been suspended one game without pay for instigating and engaging in an on-court altercation during the Heat’s 106-95 victory over the Pelicans on Feb. 23 at Smoothie King Center, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.

Additionally, Heat center Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado have each been suspended three games without pay for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation and fighting. Heat forward Nikola Jović has been suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area and entering an on-court altercation.

The incident began when Miami’s Kevin Love committed a foul on New Orleans’ Zion Williamson with 11:19 remaining in the fourth quarter. Following that foul, Butler and Marshall engaged in a physical altercation and then Alvarado and Bryant began fighting. For their roles, Alvarado, Bryant, Butler and Marshall were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game.

Alvarado will begin serving his suspension tonight when New Orleans hosts the Chicago Bulls. Marshall will also serve his suspension tonight. Bryant will begin serving his suspension on Monday, Feb. 26 when the Heat visit the Sacramento Kings. Butler and Jović will also serve their suspensions that night."

To view the incident, click on the following link: https://www.nba.com/watch/video/heat-at-pelicans-feb-23

A Look Back At Some Memorable Fights In Miami Heat History

Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.

TWITTER: @ShandelRich

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For any Heat or NBA questions, please email shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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