Last night’s Mavs vs Suns clash turned into complete chaos. That’s because Jusuf Nurkic and Naji Marshall got into a heated physical altercation, which led to slaps and even punches being thrown from both sides. Sure enough, the two stars got ejected for their brutal actions. But unsurprisingly there was a bigger penalty incoming. As it turns out, Adam Silver has issued a suspension for both players, leaving former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins and fans fuming about Naji getting caught in the crossfire…

As per veteran insider Shams Charania, the league has suspended Nurkic for three games after slapping Naji in the head/face. Meanwhile, Marshall will have to serve a four-game suspension for swinging at the Suns big man and getting into an altercation. Yes, the Mavericks star somehow got a bigger penalty than Nurk, when many believe the Suns Center was the one who threw the first hit.

Sure enough, Big Perk was not pleased with the decision and tweeted, “The league got this one wrong. Nurkic started and swung first. Marshall should have only gotten 2 games max.” Yes, many claim Marshall only swung at Nurkic in retaliation after the Bosnian slapped the Dallas forward. Also, it was Nurkic’s offensive foul on Daniel Gafford that sparked the entire altercation in the first place.

Even the NBA World seemed to agree with Perkins’ take as comments like “How did Nurkic get less games when he swung first” and “Nurk instigated, swing first, and got a less severe suspension. Lmao nice work Adam Silver” began flooding in.

Well, if you look at the footage closely, again, Naji grabbed Nurkic’s jersey before the Suns Center slapped him. Moreover, the league revealed, “Following the on-court incident, Marshall attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.” Maybe, that’s why Naji received a more severe penalty than Nurkic. But it’s safe to say that fans are still in his favor.

NBA World defends Naji Marshall and questions NBA’s declining ratings after controversial decision!

As netizens continued to support Naji, one claimed, “Nurkic should’ve get four games as well.” Well, the majority believes that Nurkic should have gotten either an equal or a bigger penalty than Naji, especially because he clearly connected his slap to the Mavs star’s face. Meanwhile, Naji’s wild punch barely made contact with Nurkic.

Obviously, fans are disappointed with Naji’s suspension and concerned about his team, “Mavericks are already short handed and now they lose even more players.” Yes, the Mavs are already dealing with Luka Doncic’s absence after he recently suffered a calf injury. And Naji’s suspension only adds to their problems. After all, he has been a solid addition to the team and is averaging 10.9 points and over three rebounds.

Fans also used the NBA’s decision to question their declining ratings and viewership metrics as one wrote, “That’s why no one is watching anymore. Adam Silver is a spineless coward who has ruined the game. David Stern rolling over in his grave.” Just last week, the NBA’s ratings dropped 17% across its main networks!

Even the Christmas Day games that the NBA has been proud of were dominated by the NFL this year, as Adam Silver’s league averaged only 5.25 million viewers per game, while the NFL garnered over 21 million viewers per game on their Netflix debut.

So, these hefty suspensions are widely believed to be one of the BIG reasons why fans are beginning to lose interest in the NBA. Do you think Adam Silver made the right decision? Or better to ask, what would you have done?