Mavericks’ Naji Marshall Hit With Huge Ban as NBA Throws Down Gauntlet

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Naji Marshall of the Dallas Mavericks punches Jusuf Nurkic of the Phoenix Suns.

The Dallas Mavericks survived their first game without their injured superstar Luka Dončić with a 98-89 road win in Phoenix. But they have to do it again in Portland on the second night of a back-to-back schedule with two more starters out.

On Saturday, December 28, the NBA went down hard on Mavericks starting forward Naji Marshall for punching Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkić in the third quarter of their 98-89 victory on the road the night earlier.

Marshall has been suspended four games without pay while his frontcourt partner P.J. Washington received a one-game suspension without pay for “escalating the on-court altercation,” Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, announced in a statement.

Nurkić was hit with a three-game suspension without pay for his role in the fracas.

Washington will rejoin the Mavericks lineup when they continue their five-game road trip in Sacramento on December 30. Marshall won’t return until next year when the Mavericks visit the Grizzlies in Memphis on January 6.

How Much the NBA Suspensions Cost Each Player Involved

The suspension will cost Marshall $236,452 of his salary, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks. Washington is set to lose $89,080, Marks added.

Meanwhile, Nurkić got the biggest hit in the pocket the three-game suspension costing the veteran center $375,000, per Marks.

Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber stand to get increased playing time with three of the Mavericks starters out.

The Mavericks have earlier lost Dončić to a calf injury on Christmas Day.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Dončić will be re-evaluated in one month.

The Mavericks currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 20-11 record.

How the Brawl Started

The incident occurred with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter after Nurkić committed an offensive foul for elbowing Dallas center Daniel Gafford.

Marshall and Nurkić came face to face in an on-court altercation that quickly escalated when the Suns center swung and struck Marshall on top of his head.

Marshall responded by throwing a punch that connected with Nurkić’s face before officials could separate both players.

Washington joined the fracas by shoving Nurkić to the ground.

All three players were ejected.

Marshall did not stop even after his ejection as he “attempted to further engage Nurkić in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms,” Dumars said in the statement.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points to lead the Mavericks to the victory, while Gafford added 16.

Luka Dončić’s Home Burglarized

Dončić became the latest NBA player to fall prey to home burglaries, which is fast becoming a growing concern among millionaire athletes.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident, which occurred on Friday, December 27, his business manager said in a statement relayed to NBA insider Marc Stein.

“No one was home at the time and thankfully Luka and his family are safe,” Lara Beth Seager, Dončić’s business manager, told Stein. “Luka has filed a police report and an investigation is ongoing.”

Before Dončić,  Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. were also victimized by what the FBI considers to be a sophisticated theft ring.