LOS ANGELES — Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had no interest in rehashing Monday’s on-court incident involving his team and the Denver Nuggets, or the subsequent penalties handed down by the NBA on Tuesday.
“I’m done talking about it,” Spoelstra said Wednesday after his team’s shootaround in advance of Miami’s game against the Lakers. “I think everybody sees where I stand, where we stand on it. At this point, it’s irrelevant whether we agree or disagree.”
On Monday, Denver star and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic forcefully pushed Heat forward Markieff Morris in the back. Jokic was suspended for one game without pay, Morris was fined $50,000 for his flagrant foul 2 and Heat star Jimmy Butler was fined $30,000 for attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to comply with an NBA security interview.
Morris had already been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Lakers. Spoelstra acknowledged that Morris received medical treatment but declined to elaborate further beyond saying: “He’s getting better.” Morris attended Wednesday’s shootaround but left for a medical appointment without speaking to reporters.
“Markieff is my brother,” Heat forward P.J. Tucker said Wednesday after shootaround. “He’s been my brother for a long time. Of course, when my brother is down on the floor, I’m worried. But he’s good so I can’t wait to get him back.”
Tucker said the Heat would move beyond the incident against Denver.
“We’re men, man,” Tucker said. “We’ve got kids. You’ve got to think about our livelihoods. It’s not just basketball. Guys have to protect each other and have each others’ back. That situation is over and we’ve got to move on and get ready for tonight and the next two games.”