Jazz and Nuggets get into big MMA match
Plumlee and Favors were both ejected while Royce O’Neale and Will Barton both received technicals.
Derrick Favors and Mason Plumlee are ejected after sparking an altercation on the court following a foul on the floor
after their exchange of shoves resulted in a scrum underneath the basket with 2:46 left in the first quarter of the Jazz’s 114-108 win Wednesday.
The NBA determine Jokic, violated the rule forbidding players not participating in the game from leaving the immediate vicinity of the bench during an altercation. Violators of the rule are automatically subjected to a one-game suspension and $50,000 fine.
“I think our assistant coaches made sure that nobody was on the court,” Denver coach Mike Malone told to source’s. “I have no doubts that our guys stayed where they were supposed to stay.”
Jokic got off the Nuggets’ bench and took several steps down the baseline toward the scrum. He did not step on the court or confront anyone before being pulled back by a Nuggets assistant. He seemed confused by a question about potential discipline from the league office.
“I was not on the court,” said Jokic, who had 28 points, 21 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss. “I mean, I cannot step? I was not even close. If they’re going to fine me, they’re going to fine me, but I did not do nothing.”
Harris and Murray also took steps down the baseline but did not go as far as Jokic.
“I didn’t do anything,” Harris said. “I took a couple of steps. I mean, it’s natural. The fans took a couple of steps. You see [something] like that going on, you obviously want to step up for your teammates. Obviously, it got pretty physical out there, so it was just a natural reaction to [want to] step in there and try to do something. But the guys on the court did a good job of breaking it up.”
The fracas occurred when Favors and Plumlee got tangled up under the basket. Favors hooked the arm of Plumlee, and they exchanged hard shoves after getting in each other’s faces. Several other players helped separate the two before any punches were thrown.
Denver’s Will Barton and Utah’s Royce O’Neale were also issued technical fouls after the incident.
“It’s unfortunate that incident escalated the way it did,” Malone said. “Prior to that happening, from my vantage point you could see very clearly Derrick Favors pulling Mason’s arm. After that, it kind of just erupted. It would have been nice for that to be defused right when that happened, but that’s part of the NBA. It happens.”
The Nuggets’ next game is at home Friday against the Phoenix Suns.
Additionally the Utah Jazz’s Derrick Favors fined $15,000 for altercation with Denver’s Mason Plumlee
Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets players get into a scuffle as they play an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) and Denver Nuggets forward Mason Plumlee (24) were ejected from the game.
Denver Nuggets forward Mason Plumlee (24) looks surprised as he is ejected along with Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) as the Jazz and the Nuggets play an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019.
The NBA announced that Favors was charged a $15,000 fine for engaging in an altercation with Denver’s Mason Plumlee during the opening quarter on Wednesday’s game versus the Nuggets.
Plumlee was fined $25,000, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been suspended one game without pay for violating the league’s rule against leaving the bench during an altercation.
The league determined that Jokić’s close proximity to the altercation further escalated the situation, and he will serve the suspension during tonight’s Nuggets game versus Phoenix.
“I didn’t see the first thing, I just saw that they started talking to each other and then started pushing each other so that’s what I saw. I didn’t see the first part of why that happened,” Jokić said after Denver’s 114-108 loss in Utah. “No, I was not on the court.”
Favors and Plumlee were originally fined $4,000 apiece for their technical foul ($2K) and ejections ($2K) but the league levied additional fines. It is the first ejection of the season for both players, thus $2,000 each, but their next ejection would be $4,000.
