Punches Thrown as Suns-Mavericks Fight Breaks Out

Three players were ejected after a quick dust-up escalated into a fight.

Dec 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) passes the ball against Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) and guard Klay Thompson (31) during the second quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- Chaos ensued early in the third quarter of Friday night's game between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks as a brawl that cleared the benches lead to three ejections.

Suns starting C Jusuf Nurkic was one of the players ejected - as he had been called for an offensive foul on Mavs Daniel Gafford at the 9:02 mark of the period - Nurkic and P.J. Washington were about to confront one another before Naji Marshall stepped in and initiated a challenge.

Nurkic then proceeded to slap the side of Marshall's head, with Marshall responding with punches and Washington shoving Nurkic to the floor.

Fight Night on @azfamily between the #Suns & #Mavs. Jusuf Nurkic & Naji Marshall have been ejected. pic.twitter.com/yfPgzgk2hA

— Mark McClune (@MarkMcClune) December 28, 2024

Coaches left the bench to subdue the situation and make sure it didn't boil over - and they succeeded.

The Suns-Mavs matchups have been contentious for a number of years now - so it isn't entirely shocking that something happened in matchup three of four between the teams this season, but any instance of punches being thrown will be magnified.

This isn't the first time Nurkic has been embroiled in physical play either - as the big man famously got cheap shotted by Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green last December - which lead to Green being suspended by the league indefinitely.

Mason Plumlee stepped in for Nurkic, and rookie Oso Ighodaro could see more run over the last quarter and half of action as well.

As stated earlier - all three were ejected while being hit with individual technical fouls.

It will certainly be interesting to see if the league hands out further punishments to the parties involved in the coming days.