NBA games have witnessed a series of heated altercations in the recent games. The most controversial amongst them comes from the Miami Heat‘s recent clash against the New Orleans Pelicans. Chaos erupted on-court as staff and players from both teams swarmed, leading to the ejection of four players early in the fourth quarter. The fallout extended to suspensions, with five players facing penalties. For their roles in the altercation, Jimmy Butler, Naji Marshall, and Nikola Jovic received a one-game suspension. On the other hand, Thomas Bryant and Jose Alvarado received three-game suspensions each.

The incident has since fueled controversy and likely sparked an intensified rivalry between the two teams. With that, former superstar Gilbert Arenas delves into the unfolding drama, while winding up the exciting weekend in the NBA.

Gilbert Arenas compares Jimmy Butler to Draymond Green

Delving into the incident with Sheryl Swoopes, the Gil’s Arena crew drew parallels between the Heat-Pelicans altercation and the widely publicized confrontation between Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert. To convey their sentiments, the crew drew comparisons between Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, likening them to Kevin Love and Zion Williamson. With that, Gilbert and Rashad McCants then concurred, stating, “Rudy did what Marshal did, and Jimmy was the Draymond Green.”

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Friday saw Butler and Marshall get on-court following Zion Williamson’s layup, where Kevin Love wrapped him to the point where the former player hit the deck. Eventually, Bulter and Marshall also got involved by Naji contesting the nature of the foul and Butler, exacerbating the situation by placing his hand on Naji’s throat, igniting further chaos. They eventually had to be separated.

A very similar situation occurred between Klay Thompson and McDaniels, who were engaged in trash talk as the game began, and then when tensions escalated, Gobert started intervening, restraining Klay from partaking any further. This led Draymond Green to choke Gober from behind and drag him onto the court. This incident remains one of the most controversial moments of the current season, despite the numerous such instances this season.

But even when Green seems to have calmed down post his (then) indefinite suspension, Butler seems to be making a mockery of the situation.

Butler is all jokes about his suspension

Jimmy Butler, displeased with the consequences of his ejection, vehemently disagreed with the repercussions he faced for the altercation. Butler asserted that his intention was solely to keep Naji away from Kevin Love. So, when his suspension was handed down, Jimmy took his sentiments to Instagram. Butler posted a humorous rendition of the Bad Boys poster featuring him and Nikola Jokić, citing Jovic for the entire incident.

Besides the suspensions, fines were imposed on the players. Notably, Jimmy Butler received the most substantial fine, a hefty $259,968, surpassing the combined fines of the other four players involved in the altercation.

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