A heated confrontation during Friday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns resulted in the ejection of three players. The incident, which occurred in the third quarter, saw Jusuf Nurkić of the Suns and P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall of the Mavericks dismissed from the game following a physical altercation.
The sequence began with Nurkić committing an offensive foul against Dallas center Daniel Gafford, striking him with an elbow. As Nurkić turned away, he appeared to engage in a verbal exchange with Marshall and Washington. This led to a physical confrontation where Marshall initially put his hands on Nurkić’s chest, which then escalated quickly.
Nurkić responded by smacking Marshall's head, which then provoked a retaliatory punch from Marshall. Officials intervened promptly to separate the players, but the damage was done. The incident resulted in the immediate ejection of Nurkić, Washington, and Marshall from the game.
Following the ejections, the Suns were awarded a free throw due to the disproportionate number of Mavericks players removed. Kevin Durant converted the free throw. This advantage for the Suns was noted as beneficial, especially considering that both Washington and Marshall are key defensive players for Dallas.
At the time of his ejection, Nurkić had accumulated three points, five rebounds, and two assists. Washington and Marshall had a combined total of 11 points when they were ejected. Despite the disruption, Kevin Durant finished as the game’s leading scorer with 32 points.
