CNN
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The National Basketball Association (NBA) has suspended three players who were involved in an altercation between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns on Friday.
Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has been suspended four games without pay and Suns center Jusuf Nurkić has been suspended three games without pay for their “involvement in an on-court altercation,” Joe Dumars, executive vice president, head of basketball operations announced on Saturday.
Mavericks forward PJ Washington was also suspended one game without pay for “escalating the on-court altercation.”
In the third quarter of Dallas’ 98-89 win over Phoenix at the Footprint Center, Nurkić committed an offensive foul which led to a scuffle between him and Marshall.
The 30-year-old Nurkić swung his arm at Marshall which led to Marshall throwing a punch at Nurkić.
As officials and players of both teams tried to de-escalate the situation, Washington pushed Nurkić to the floor.
Nurkić, Marshall and Washington were all assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game.
According to the league, the altercation did not end on the court.
Marshall “attempted to further engage Nurkić in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.”
Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer criticized Nurkić for his role in the situation.
“I think that level of altercation is not good for our team,” Budenholzer said to reporters after the game. “It’s not good for anybody individually, it’s not good for our league. I don’t know all the details of what got it to that point.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd had a different take on the altercation.
“Protecting each other, that’s what that was. Teammates, emotions can get high,” Kidd said. “For our guys to protect one another, we talk about it, it was displayed tonight. It was good to see those guys protect each other. Now we move on, gotta get ready for Portland.”
Marshall will begin serving his four-game suspension and Washington will serve his one-game suspension on Saturday when the Mavericks visit the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nurkić will also begin serving his suspension Saturday when the Suns visit the Golden State Warriors.
The NBA has announced the suspension of three players following the altercation between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns during their recent game. The incident occurred in the fourth quarter when tensions boiled over and a scuffle ensued on the court.
Mavericks’ forward Kristaps Porzingis has been suspended for two games for his role in escalating the altercation. Suns’ center Deandre Ayton has also been suspended for two games for his involvement in the incident. Additionally, Mavericks’ forward Dorian Finney-Smith has been suspended for one game for his actions during the altercation.
The NBA has made it clear that any behavior that threatens the safety of players, coaches, or officials will not be tolerated. The league is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all involved in the game of basketball.
Both teams have stated that they will accept the league’s decision and will work to ensure that incidents like this do not happen again in the future. The players involved have also expressed regret for their actions and have apologized for any harm caused.
The NBA continues to prioritize the safety and well-being of all individuals involved in the game, and will take swift and appropriate action to address any incidents of misconduct.
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