Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic gets ejected in victory over the Miami Heat, 113-96. The reigning NBA MVP was ejected for violently slamming his shoulder into Markieff Morris out of frustration, per ESPN. Jokic scored 25 points, had 15 rebounds, and had ten assists in the beat down over the Heat on Monday night.
The Heat reported that Morris did receive a neck injury during the incident. Jokic mentioned that he watched a replay of the incident and was shocked by the impact of Morris’ head hitting the floor.
“I felt bad, really bad,” Jokic said.
Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris were both ejected from the game after the two exchanged hard fouls. pic.twitter.com/AtOklXIU5k
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 9, 2021
This naturally frustrated teammates on both sides after the incident occurred. The more known name that seemed frustrated the most was All-Star Jimmy Butler. He expressed his frustration to the Nuggets bench as well as Jokic shortly after the scuffle was broken up.
Jimmy Butler has something to say to Nikola Jokic. pic.twitter.com/5OqyoPsq9b
— Will Manso (@WillManso) November 9, 2021
Denver Nuggets’ Supporting Cast Secures Win
Will Barton tallied 25 points, while Jeff Green contributed 13 points for the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets held the opposition under 100 points for the seventh time this season, according to ESPN. Butler pitched in for the Heat with 31 points, and Duncan Robinson scored 13 points.
The Altercation between Jokic and Morris
The game was out of reach for the Heat; however, a late foul by Morris was a bit uncalled for. Morris elbow Jokic near the midsection which caused Jokic to lose his composure and retaliate. The retaliation resulted in Morris on the floor and rolling up in pain.
“I felt the need to defend myself, but I understand that I shouldn’t have reacted that way and been ejected from the game,” Jokic expressed.
Miami Heat head coach Erick Spoelstra was highly concerned for Morris’s health and neck throughout the entire altercation.
“We wanted to ensure Kieff’s well-being. We’ll gather more information,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra commented on the apparent neck injury. “He’s currently moving around in the locker room. However, that was an extremely dangerous and unsportsmanlike play.”
Ultimately, Morris received a flagrant foul, which led to his ejection. Officials also ejected Jovic while Butler was handed a technical foul. The veteran forward Jeff green made a valid point that many seem to share the same sentiment. He discussed how both parties were in the wrong. However, the altercation is bad for the game of basketball and should never take place.
“I believe Markieff was simply attempting a strong foul. I don’t think he had any intention of causing harm to Joker,” he stated. “However, in situations like these, you can’t always know the other person’s intentions, so you react accordingly, and that’s what Joker did.”
“a play that shouldn’t happen,” continued Green.
