Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler will miss the game against the Sacramento Kings due to a one-game suspension by the NBA following an altercation with the New Orleans Pelicans. The incident occurred when Butler confronted Pelicans’ Naji Marshall after a hard foul on Zion Williamson. Marshall, in turn, pushed Butler’s neck, sparking a skirmish involving multiple players.
In response, the NBA handed out suspensions to five players. Heat’s Thomas Bryant and Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado received three-game suspensions for leaving the bench, while Butler, Heat’s Nikola Jović, and Marshall each received one-game suspensions for their roles in the altercation.
Butler spent Sunday in California’s wine country, as seen on his Instagram stories. Despite his absence, the Heat defeated the Pelicans 106-95 on Friday, continuing their recent success with seven wins in their last nine games, moving up to seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Last year, the Heat made a remarkable playoff run, upsetting higher-seeded teams before falling to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
Butler’s return to the court on Friday followed a brief absence before the All-Star break due to a family tragedy. He has been a key player for the Heat this season, averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, with an impressive 44.7% three-point shooting percentage, a significant improvement over his career average of 32.8%. The Heat performs well with Butler on the floor, with a +7.2 points per 100 possessions, second only to Jović’s +12.5, despite playing nearly 1,000 fewer minutes.
Leave a Reply