NBA Suspends Pelicans Naji Marshall and Jose Alvarado For Role In Friday's Altercation
New Orleans, LA - The NBA handed down suspensions for the melee that broke out between the New Orleans Pelicans and Miami Heat on Friday evening. Naji Marshall will be suspended one game and Jose Alvarado three games for their participation in the ruckus. A fight broke out early in the fourth quarter after a hard foul by Heat forward Kevin Love on Pelicans' star Zion Williamson.
Marshall objected to the foul and came over to protect his teammate. Marshall and Heat forward Jimmy Butler got into a shoving match which resulted in Marshall briefly putting his hand around Marshall's neck. Butler is also suspended a game as well. As the teams tried to cool things down, Heat center Thomas Bryant and Jose Alvarado appeared to throw punches at each other on the sideline.
Marshall, Alvarado, Butler, and Bryant were all ejected from the game at that time, and now the NBA has announced suspensions for all four players. New Orleans roster takes a hit with Dyson Daniels out for a period, and guard CJ McCollum is now out with an ankle injury. New Orleans hosts Chicago Sunday evening at home.
Alvarado is averaging nearly 17 minutes a game this season, scoring seven points and dishing out 1.9 assists. Marshall averages 18.4 points a game and averages 7.3 points per contest.
