NBA suspends Naji Marshall four games, PJ Washington one

The NBA has officially handed out penalties for last night’s fracas between the Mavs and Suns

The NBA has suspended Naji Marshall four games and PJ Washington one game for their respective roles played in the Friday night altercation against Jusif Nurkic, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

There has not been much love lost between the Mavs and the Suns in recent years. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact starting point of a rivalry, but Game 7 in the second round of the 2022 Playoffs is probably as good a spot as any. After the Mavs ran Phoenix off their own floor in that game, the two teams have exchanged barbs time and again. In the closing moments of their March 5, 2023 game, Luka Doncic and Devin Booker got in each other’s faces to share unpleasantries after Luka missed a potential game-tying shot in the paint.

Last night’s altercation, which resulted in the ejections of Jusef Nurkic, Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington, has only added to the disdain between the teams while garnering much attention within the Mavs’ fan base. Our very own Jason Worley provided his take on the situation, prompting good discussion and a variety of opinions on both sides of the equation. Wherever you may stand on the topic, the Mavericks are clear on their position – they view the situation as teammates standing up for one another and having each other’s back.

Here’s the punishments according to Shams:

Jusef Nurkic

Suspension: 3 games

Fine: $2,000 (in-game technical) + $2,000 (in-game ejection) + $375,000 (3 game suspension)

Naji Marshall

Suspension: 4 games

Fine: $2,000 (in-game technical) + $2,000 (in-game ejection) + $236,453 (4 game suspension)

P.J. Washington

Suspension: 1 game

Fine: $2,000 (in-game technical) + $2,000 (in-game technical resulting in ejection) + $89,080 (1 game suspension)

Suffice it to say those of us here at Mavs Moneyball firmly disagree with this soft ruling. Jusif Nurkic is a repeat offender, having fought before. Naji Marshall getting the harshest penalty is annoying only compared to Nurkic, he did throw a punch after all (update: press release indicates Marshall tried to escalate again outside of the locker rooms). PJ Washington getting suspended is downright silly. His push of Nurkic ended the ordeal before it could really escalate between the two players.