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There was a palpable amount of tension going into the Miami Heat‘s matchup against the Denver Nuggets on November 29. The last time these two teams played, not only was there a violent altercation between Nuggets’ star Nikola Jokic and Miami’s Markieff Morris, but the Heat lost 113-96.
Monday night marks the first time that the Heat faced the Nuggets since Jokic took Morris out of the game with a blindside hit to his back on November 8, an injury that left 32-year-old veteran with whiplash and a neck injury.
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Adding friction to the rematch, Jokic’s WWE-sized brothers threatened to attend the game in Miami. While many assumed that Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic were just messing around in their Twitter battle with Morris and his brother, Clippers’ Marcus Morris, Jokic’s brothers were in attendance at the FTX Arena on Monday night.
Before the game started, Heat’s head Erik Spoelstra said he wasn’t worried about another fight breaking out. “I’m sure NBA security has sent the full team down here, Spoelstra said. “Everybody is going to be on high alert, including the officials. Nothing is going to happen.”
Unfortunately, the Heat once again struggled against the Nuggets, especially without leading the team’s scorers, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, and lost 120-111. After the game, Jokic and his brothers didn’t quietly return home. Instead, they seemingly rubbed salt in the Heat’s wound, partying hard at Miami’s Swan Restaurant.
In the video, the nightclub’s staff flocked the Serbian brothers with signs celebrating the NBA’s reigning MVP as the DJ played Serbia’s national anthem.
Heat’s Team Captain Issued a Stern Warning to the Jokic Brothers Prior to Tipoff
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GettyUdonis Haslem #40 of the Miami Heat looks on before the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat during Game Two of their Eastern Conference first-round 2020-21 NBA playoff series.
Heat’s team captain Udonis Haslem said before the game started that the entire team has moved on from the Jokic/Morris altercation.
“It’s over with, man. It’s over with,” Haslem said’s prior to tipoff. “Nobody got time for that… It happened. In the heat of the moment, everybody reacted. OK, let’s move on. It’s over with. It is so far over with. I don’t have time for that. You’re talking to somebody who has seen everything but the wind. I’ve seen it all. That’s over with.”
As for the Jokic brothers coming to Miami, however, Haslem was understandably wary of their intentions.
“What the hell you buying tickets for? To come do what?” the veteran power forward said. “That’s my city. Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing. Come enjoy the game and take your [butts] home. Ain’t nobody messing with your brother. We come to play basketball.”
Morris Has Missed 11 Straight Games
While the NBA announced that Jokic, 26, would be suspended one game without pay, an estimated $210,417 in lost wages, and Morris would be fined $50,000. Jimmy Butler was also hit with a penalty, handed a $30,000 fine for what the NBA deemed, “attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview as part of the review process pertaining to an on-court matter.”
Jokic was able to return to action following the incident while Morris was once again ruled out for the Nuggets rematch, marking his 11th straight missed game since getting hit in the back. A return date for the Heat’s veteran forward has not been announced.
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