Heat and Pelicans brawl; Naji Marshall chokes Jimmy Butler in scrap that sees four players ejected
The Miami Heat's commanding 106-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night turned chaotic early in the fourth quarter following a contentious foul on Zion Williamson. The ensuing altercation between the two teams led to the ejection of four players: Jimmy Butler and Thomas Bryant for the Heat, and Naji Marshall and Jose Alvarado for the Pelicans.
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Williamson believed he was fouled while driving to the basket, resulting in visible frustration. He swiftly channeled his emotions into stealing the ball from Butler. As he made another attempt at the rim, he was aggressively wrapped up by Kevin Love and sent crashing to the floor. The forceful foul incited Williamson's teammates, who rushed to his defense.
Marshall was the first to intervene, delivering a slight bump to Love before confronting Butler. In response to Butler's attempt to push him away, Marshall reacted vehemently, grabbing Butler by the neck in a chokehold. This prompted a heated response from Butler, who attempted to pursue Marshall as personnel, including players, coaches, and security staff, intervened to separate them.
Just as the situation seemed to be calming down, Bryant confronted Alvarado near the scorer's table. Bryant appeared to throw multiple punches, sparking another altercation as members from both teams rushed to the scene. The reason for their altercation remains unclear.
After order was restored and both teams returned to their benches, the referees initiated a thorough review at the monitor. They upheld the foul on Love as a common foul, while issuing double technical fouls to Butler, Bryant, Marshall, and Alvarado, resulting in their ejection from the game.
Meanwhile, off the court, fans became involved in the chaos. A video from
the stands captured a fan wearing a CJ McCollum jersey throwing objects at players during the Bryant-Alvarado altercation. Additionally, on the Pelicans' broadcast, a Heat fan donning a Dwyane Wade shirt was seen being escorted from his seat.
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