When the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic and Miami's Markieff Morris had an altercation that resulted in a neck injury for the Heat player after the Serbian shoved him in the back, many were eager to see what was to follow.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
38
|
| Nikola Jokic | |
| Points | 24 |
| Accuracy | 9-14 |
| Rebounds | 15 |
| Assists | 7 |
For a good deal of time following the November 8 incident, the Jokic brothers (Strahinja and Nemanja) got into another fight on Twitter, exchanging words and posts with Markieff Morris' twin brother, Marcus.
The Jokic brothers, who have drawn attention for their reactions to certain plays in the past, were in Miami for Monday's game, seated just behind the Denver bench when the Nuggets visited the Heat and got away with a win - largely thanks to Nikola.
"They're coming down here because this is Miami, and I know for a fact every year they've been able to come, non-COVID, they've been here," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, per ESPN. "And that's not to cause trouble. That's just to support their brother, which they always do."
Jokic was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Tuesday, and the Miami Heat's Markieff Morris was fined $50,000 for their role in the incident.
Nikola Jokic returned to action after a four-game absence and scored 24 points, Aaron Gordon added 20 and the Nuggets snapped their longest losing streak in nearly six years by beating the short-handed Heat 120-111.
"That's behind us," Jokic said, referring to the incident that transpired three weeks ago. "We need to move on to the future. We won the game and that's the most important thing."
Jokic also said he hasn't talked to Morris since. Heat fans booed him every time he touched the ball, but the reigning MVP didn't seem to mind. "I played in Serbia, brother," he said post-game.
