NBA suspends 5 players involved in Heat-Pelicans skirmish

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The NBA on Sunday suspended five players involved in the skirmish during Friday night’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Miami Heat.

Heat center Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado were suspended for three games for fighting and leaving the bench area. Heat guards Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic along with Pelicans forward Naji Marshall were each given a one-game suspension.

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Pelicans forward Naji Marshall, left, and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, right, get into a scuffle during their game in New Orleans, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Butler will lose $260,000 in base salary because of his suspension. The rest of the suspensions will cost the four other players about $115,000 combined.

The scrap occurred late in the fourth quarter after a hard foul on Zion Williamson as the big man went up for a layup. Kevin Love tried his best to thwart Williamson.

Williamson hit the floor hard, and a couple of his teammates rushed over to make sure he was OK, with one pushing Love out of the way. Butler returned with a push of his own, and that's when he and Marshall came face to face. When they were jawing at one another, Marshall put his right hand around Butler's throat, and they had to be separated by members of both teams.

Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant, right, is held back by Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas after getting in a scuffle with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado in New Orleans, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

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Another view of the aftermath appeared