Miami (AFP) – The NBA on Saturday suspended three players for their roles in an on-court clash during Friday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns. Dallas forward Naji Marshall was suspended for four games, while Suns center Jusuf Nurkic received a three-game suspension. Mavericks forward P.J. Washington will sit out one game.
The incident occurred with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter when Nurkic committed an offensive foul on Dallas’s Daniel Gifford. Marshall and Nurkic then engaged in an on-court altercation. Nurkic escalated the situation by swinging his arm and striking Marshall on the top of his head. Marshall responded by throwing a punch that connected with Nurkic’s face,” the NBA said in a statement.
As officials and other players attempted to diffuse the situation, Washington further escalated the altercation by shoving Nurkic to the floor. For their roles, Marshall, Nurkic, and Washington were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game,” the league added.
Marshall later confronted Nurkic near the locker rooms in a “hostile manner,” according to the NBA. The league noted that the players will not be paid during their suspension periods.
© 2024 AFP
