Three NBA Players Suspended After Fight Breaks Out Between Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks
Three NBA players have been suspended after a fight broke out on Friday night between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. Naji Marshall of the Mavericks was hit with a four-game suspension, while Jusuf Nurkic of the Suns will miss the next three games for coming to blows on the court. PJ Washington of the Mavericks will also serve a one-game suspension for escalating the situation.
The altercation began when Nurkic was called for an offensive foul while being guarded by Daniel Gafford with 9:02 left in the third quarter. Nurkic confronted Marshall before taking an open-handed swing at his head, and Marshall responded with a punch. Washington then shoved Nurkic to the ground before the teams were separated.
The referees reviewed the play and decided that all three players would be ejected. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said that the fight was a result of the players protecting each other, while Suns coach Mike Budenholzer expressed disappointment with the level of altercation.
The ejections did not help the Mavericks, who were already without star Luka Don
ić, who suffered a calf strain on Christmas Day and will miss a month of action. However, they were still able to come away with a 98-89 victory on the road.