The incident between Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris did not take long to have consequences. The Serbian center has been sanctioned with a suspension game for his attack on the forward, so that he will not be able to be present in the clash that the Nuggets will play against Indiana on Wednesday. The Heat, meanwhile, has been fined $ 50,000 for the flagrant type 2 offense that sparked the altercation.
With less than three minutes to go, Morris lunged at Jokic as he had his hands raised for a pass, elbowing him hard in the ribs. He reacted with a forceful blow with the shoulder that knocked down Markieff and has caused a neck injury, which has caused him to be ruled out for Miami’s visit to the Staples Center tonight.
However, the two involved have not been the only ones to receive a sanction. Jimmy Butler has also been fined $ 30,000, in his case for trying to escalate the situation and failing to comply with an NBA safety interview.
Both teams will meet again at the end of the month, and it seems that the spirits will be heated at this meeting. The Heat apparently left very angry with what happened, and Marcus Morris, Markieff’s brother commented what happened on Twitter with a rather threatening tone. The same did Strahinja and Nemanja, Jokic’s brothers, while Nikola tried to calm things down by admitting his mistake in his statements.
“It was a stupid action,” he assured. “I feel bad. He shouldn’t have reacted that way. I think it was a dirty move. I needed to protect myself, but I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I have been shown the video and I have seen how his head goes back after a blow. I have felt terrible.
(Cover photo; Michael Reaves / Getty Images)