PHOENIX — During a competitive match-up on Friday evening, the Phoenix Suns faced off against the Dallas Mavericks, ultimately falling 98-89. The game took an intense turn when tensions flared, resulting in the ejection of Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic along with Dallas forwards Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington.
The incident unfolded with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter when Nurkic was called for an offensive foul against Daniel Gafford. This infraction sparked a quick confrontation between Nurkic and Marshall, culminating in Nurkic swinging at Marshall’s head with an open hand. Marshall retaliated with a punch, leading Washington to shove Nurkic to the ground, prompting officials to step in and separate the players.
Mavericks’ head coach Jason Kidd commented on the altercation, emphasizing the importance of player protection in such emotionally charged situations. “Just protecting each other — that’s what that was,” he stated. “Emotions can get high, so our guys protect one another. We talk about it and it was displayed tonight.”
Kyrie Irving, a guard for the Mavericks, lightheartedly added to the conversation about the skirmish. He jokingly suggested, “Maybe that’s just the way we end 2024, where somebody actually swings in the NBA. Maybe that will help our ratings.”
After the incident, referees took the time to review the events that transpired and ultimately concluded that all three involved players should be ejected from the game. Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer expressed concern about the fight, stating, “I think that level of altercation is not good for our team, 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.”
Compounding matters for the Mavericks, the team was already dealing with the absence of star player Luka Doncic, who is sidelined due to a calf injury sustained on Christmas Day. Doncic is projected to be out for about a month, leaving the Mavericks to navigate the rest of the season with a less than full roster.
