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The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 98-89 on Friday night, however, an incident occurred during the game. Naji Marshall and Jusuf Nurkic were involved in a physical altercation that led to a punch being thrown.
According to Shams Charania, Marshall, who threw a punch, has received a four-game suspension while Nurkic, who struck Marshall, has received a three-game suspension. PJ Washington received a one-game suspension as well for “escalating the on-court altercation,” Charania reports.
The incident led to Marshall, Nurkic, and Washington getting ejected from the game. The NBA did not take long to make a decision on the players' suspensions, as the announcement comes just a day after the altercation occurred.
The NBA also revealed a separate incident that occurred following the game.
“Following the on-court incident, Marshall attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms,” NBA Communications wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
As for the on-court incident, Marshall was attempting to stand up for his teammate, as Nurkic had just driven hard into Mavs center Daniel Gafford in the paint. That led to words being exchanged before Nurkic slapped Marshall in the face. Marshall followed that with a punch, and then Washington shoved Nurkic.
Marshall's suspension is set to begin on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers, while Washington will also serve his suspension during the game. The Suns will play the Golden State Warriors on Saturday as well, so Nurkic will also begin serving his suspension during that contest.
The Mavericks will look to defeat the Blazers despite Marshall and Washington's absences. It should be remembered that Luka Doncic is out as well due to a calf injury. Nevertheless, the Blazers have struggled in 2024-25 so the Mavs will remain confident heading into the contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 PM EST in Portland.
