The league announced that Jimmy Butler has also been fined $30K for his part in the incident

The NBA announced on Tuesday that reigning MVP Nikola Jokic has been suspended one game without buy “forcefully shoving” Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris to the ground from behind during Monday night’s Nuggets-Heat game. Jokic was responding to what he felt was an inexpensive shot from Morris a couple of seconds earlier.

The NBA agreed that Morris’ initial foul, that he was assessed a Flagrant-2, was over the road , and on Tuesday announced that he has been fined $50K for his part. Morris won’t face suspension.

In addition to Morris’ fine, Jimmy Butler has been fined $30K for “attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to suits an NBA Security interview as a part of the review process concerning an on-court matter.”

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/LY1p6ooesW

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 10, 2021

Here’s a look at Morris’ foul on Jokic, and Jokic’s retaliatory action.

Nikola Jokic clobbers Markieff Morris from behind late in the fourth quarter and things get intense. pic.twitter.com/9RclknqIKB

— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) November 9, 2021

“It’s a stupid play, I feel bad,” Jokic said after the sport . “I’m not alleged to react that way. I got hit. I saw him, but i assumed it had been just gonna be sort of a take foul. But he bumped me and that i was like, i feel it had been a unclean play and that i just needed to guard myself.”

Morris stayed down on the ground for a few time, and that they even brought out a stretcher as a precaution. Thankfully, he didn’t need it and was ready to rise up and walk off on his own. you’ll see Morris’ head snap back when Jokic hits him, and indeed he will miss Wednesday’s game vs. the Lakers for what the warmth are calling “whiplash.”

“That was a really dangerous, dirty play,” Erik Spoelstra said after the sport . “I thought Keef took a foul and it had been one among those fast-break take fouls. And he did it together with his shoulder. you would possibly deem that perhaps as a touch bit quite just the slapping stuff. Right after I watched it on film, it had been a take foul. That’s how I saw it. and therefore the play then , that’s just absolutely uncalled for.”

Even the brothers of the involved players got into it, because the Jokic Brothers skilled Markieff’s brother, Marcus Morris, who tweeted “Waited til bro turned his back smh. NOTED:”

https://twitter.com/JokicBrothers/status/1458087274332180508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1458087274332180508%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbssports.com%2Fnba%2Fnews%2Fnikola-jokic-suspended-one-game-markieff-morris-fined-50k-for-altercation-at-end-of-heat-nuggets-game%2F

As for Morris, the warmth veteran tweeted Tuesday morning about what went down the night before:

I love to see the hate! No doubt I took a hard foul which I always do but I’ve never hit a man with his back turned! Luckily we built different over here. I can take my licks and keep pushing. Joker 1 smooth 0 lol.

— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) November 9, 2021

Jokic’s response was a complete overreaction, and there is no place within the game for hitting guys with cheap shots within the back. you merely can’t be doing that. At an equivalent time, there are not any innocent parties here. Morris knew exactly what he was doing running across the court to deliver a tough , unnecessary foul within the final minute of a blowout.