4 players ejected after melee in Pelicans-Heat game; Jimmy Butler has hand placed on his throat

Emotions came to a head on Friday night in New Orleans, as four players were ejected.

The Pelicans and Miami Heat got into a big scrap in the fourth quarter after a hard foul on Zion Williamson.

Williamson went for a layup after getting a steal, and Kevin Love tried everything in his power to stop a bucket.

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Wlliamson hit the floor hard, and a couple of his teammates rushed over to make sure he was OK, with one pushing Love out of the way.

Jimmy Butler returned with a push of his own, and that’s when he and Naji Marshall came face to face.

When they were jawing at one another, Marshall put his right hand around Butler’s throat, and they had to be separated by members of both teams.

Another view of the aftermath appeared to show Thomas Bryant, who was not checked into the game yet, throwing a punch at Jose Alvarado, causing yet another brouhaha near the scorer’s table.

During that, a fan could be seen throwing an object in the direction of the players.

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat during the game on February 23, 2024 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.  (Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)

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Butler, Marshall, Bryant, and Alvarado were all ejected from the contest.

Butler had 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the contest.

Naji Marshall #8 of the New Orleans Pelicans and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat are involved in an altercation during the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Smoothie King Center on February 23, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Both players were ejected.  (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

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Miami got the last laugh, with a 106-95 victory to improve to 31-25. New Orleans dropped to 34-23.

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