The Joker didn’t find Morris’ foul very funny
NBA star Nikola Jokic was ejected from Denver Nuggets’ game against Miami Heat after harshly knocking Markieff Morris to the ground in retaliation to a tough foul.
Towards the end of the fourth quarter, Jokic rebounded the ball and passed it downcourt – but as he was doing so, Morris fouled the seven-foot centre after catching him with his elbow as the Serbian was delivering an overhead pass.
Morris began to walk away with his back to the Nuggets man, but Jokic was evidently irritated and angered by the foul and proceeded to brutally barge the Heat man to the floor.
The altercation saw both coaches, staff members and officials attempting to calm the situation, with Jokic quickly being moved away from the court while emotions were still running high.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler received a technical foul after he shouted toward the Nuggets bench, with the American needing to be held back by teammates.
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Following the incident, Jokic was ejected, but the Nuggets were still able to secured a 113-96 win over Miami to go 6-4 in the Western Conference.
The altercation will undoubtedly be reviewed by the NBA, with a suspension and fine a realistic possibility.
Speaking after the game, the 26-year-old stated that he felt the need to protect himself, but did admit that he felt bad after seeing how hurt Morris was.
“It’s a stupid play,” he told reporters after the game. “I feel bad.
“I am not supposed to react that way. I thought it was going to be a take foul. I think it was a dirty play. And I just needed to protect myself. I felt bad. I am not supposed to react that way, but I need to protect myself.”
Jokic later added: “I don’t know who showed me the clip, and actually his head snapped back [after the shove], so I feel really bad. … It’s a bad move.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said that the ‘dangerous and dirty play’ was ‘just absolutely uncalled for’.
“That was a very dangerous and dirty play,” he told reporters after the game.
“Keef took a foul, and it was one of those fastbreak take fouls, and he did with his shoulder.
“You might deem that maybe as a little bit more than just slapping somebody, but after watching it on film, it was a take foul.
“That’s how I saw it. And the play after, that’s just absolutely uncalled for.”
Spoelstra revealed that Morris was ‘ok’ after the brutal foul and that he was able to move around the locker room.
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