BREAKING NEWS: NBA suspends 5 Heat players for Their roles…

Five players have been suspended without pay for their roles in the on-court brawl with the New Orleans Pelicans on

Friday night, including Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.

The NBA said on Sunday that Butler and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall had each received one game suspensions for

“instigating and engaging in” an on-court brawl.

Jose Alvarado, the guard for the Pelicans, and Thomas Bryant, the center for the Heat, were both given three-game

suspensions for fighting and leaving the bench area during the on-court brawl.

In addition, Miami forward Nikola Jovic received a one-game suspension for coming off the bench.

After Pelicans forward Zion Williamson grabbed the ball from Butler and went up for a layup, the confrontation

broke out. At 11:19 in the fourth quarter, Heat forward Kevin Love tackled Williamson, who subsequently told

reporters he believed the play was intended to keep him from falling.

At that time, Butler and Marshall got into a fight, necessitating their separation on the floor. At the scorer’s table,

Alvarado and Bryant got into a fight after the first altercation was broken up.

Bryant, Alvarado, Butler, and Marshall were dismissed. Love was deemed to be a common offense.

Butler, out of the five players getting penalties, will lose the most money from the suspension—by far, $259,968.

Jovic will forfeit $12,655 and Bryant will be penalized $52,308. Alvarado will lose $37,988 and Marshall $11,096 for

the Pelicans.

Alvarado will miss the Bulls game in addition to the next road trip to see the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.

Bryant won’t be available for the remainder of Miami’s road trip, which also includes stops in Portland on Tuesday

and Denver on Thursday. Butler and Jovic will miss the Heat’s game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday.