3 ejected after Suns' Jusuf Nurkic, Mavs' Naji Marshall throw hands in wild scene
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It’s still early in the NBA season, but the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks brought playoff intensity on Friday night. The two teams brawled in the third quarter, with Jusuf Nurkic and Naji Marshall in the center of the chaos, via PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet.
“Oh damn. Naji Marshall and Jusuf Nurkic got into a fight, looked like a punch was thrown,” Bouquet reported. “Nurk got knocked down in the scuffle. Looked like it started with Marshall saying something to Nurk and him doubling back.”
Clip below, via Hoop Central.
JUSUF NURKIC VS. NAJI MARSHALL
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 28, 2024
Nurkic appeared to walk up to Marshall and slap his head, followed by a brief scuffle with more players before the action was broken up. Nurkic, Marshall, and Mavs forward PJ Washington were all ejected.
The conflict started over Nurkic’s offensive foul, via Bouquet.
“So to recap now that we have the replays: Nurk offensive foul, bumps Kyrie [Irving], Naji says something, Nurk doubles back, Nurk slaps Marshall, Marshall starts swinging, PJ Washington shoves Nurk to the ground, and all 3 of Nurk/Naji/PJ get ejected for it,” Bouquet recounted.
The NBA has been recently criticized for a lack of passion, physicality, and drama amid a recent ratings decline, via The Wrap. However, this type of chippiness shows that modern players are still willing to take it back to past eras on occasion.
Both the Mavericks and Suns have plenty to lose, as each team is vying for positioning in the Western Conference. Dallas is fourth at 19-11, and is just 1.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for third. At the same time, though, a loss would be inconvenient, as its just two games ahead of the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers.
Meanwhile, the Suns are tied for ninth with the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, pending the results of Friday’s game against the Mavs. If Phoenix drops to 11th, it’ll be out of Play-In Tournament territory.
While the NBA season is still young, every game counts, and this type of in-game fight shows that the players still have the competitive fire that fans and pundits have accused them of losing.
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