National Basketball Association

Jimmy Butler, Naji Marshall among 5 players suspended after Heat-Pelicans incident

Published Feb. 25, 2024 6:01 p.m. ET

Miami's Jimmy Butler and New Orleans' Naji Marshall have been suspended for one game apiece for instigating an on-court altercation, the NBA announced Sunday.

The incident happened during the Heat-Pelicans game Friday night.

Miami's Thomas Bryant and New Orleans' Jose Alvarado were both handed three-game suspensions for fighting and leaving the bench area. Miami's Nikola Jovic also got a one-game suspension for leaving the bench area and entering the altercation, the league said.

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Butler — who did not think he should have been ejected — will lose nearly $260,000 in base salary because of his suspension. The rest of the suspensions will cost the four other players about $115,000 combined.

"I put my hand around his neck. He put his hand around my neck," Butler said after the game of his incident with Marshall. "And it just took off the way it did."

It started when Miami's Kevin Love fouled New Orleans' Zion Williamson under the Pelicans' basket. Butler and Marshall "engaged in a physical altercation" after the foul, the league said, and Alvarado and Bryant then fought.

Alvarado, Bryant, Butler and Marshall were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game, which the Heat won 106-95.

Alvarado will miss games Sunday against Chicago, Tuesday at New York and Wednesday at Indiana. Marshall will miss Sunday's game against the Bulls.

Butler and Jovic will not play when Miami visits Sacramento on Monday and Bryant will miss that game, along with ones Tuesday at Portland and Thursday at Denver. Bryant played for the Nuggets last season when they beat the Heat in the NBA Finals.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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