Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets were cruising to victory over the Miami Heat when a scary situation happened late in the game.
The game was nearly over when Markieff Morris fouled Jokic at midcourt.
The hit was hard, but it did not seem to be anything flagrant.
Then Jokic took the situation to another level.
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
The Nuggets big man absolutely drilled Morris in the back, sending him crashing to the court in pain.
Benches cleared in what was an entirely pointless display on the court.
Both Sides To Blame
The initial foul from Morris was entirely unnecessary so late in the game.
That does not excuse the force Jokic used, but it at least explains his motive.
Now fans are waiting to see if the NBA hands out discipline for the incident.
Jokic would likely be the one to actually miss time given the viciousness of his hit.
The whole situation led to Jimmy Butler seemingly challenging Jokic to a fight and now the MVP’s brothers are on Twitter trying to fight Marcus Morris.
Just got a text from Jokic’s brother. This is their real account responding to Marcus Morris’s tweet last night. https://t.co/ON4AH3JxwN
— Mike Singer (@msinger) November 9, 2021
Both teams can argue who is right or wrong in this ugly situation.
But the NBA is not going to tolerate fights breaking out on the court in any game.
They are unnecessary and not a part of the NBA game.
The optics are incredibly bad and a great win for Denver is now marred by a controversial play.
The league also can’t have Jokic’s brothers making open threats on Twitter.
Hopefully, these two teams being in separate conferences lets this situation die down with time.
However, they are set to play again November 29 in what should be a heated contest from the start.
The NBA will surely brief the officials on being extra careful for that encounter.
NEXT: Denver Nuggets Trying To Build Their Own Big 3