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[Saba Sports News] Three players were ejected during Friday night’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns following a heated altercation, but it was Kyrie Irving’s hilarious reaction to the chaos that stole the spotlight.
The melee began with 9:02 left in the third quarter when Suns center Jusuf Nurkic was called for an offensive foul. Nurkic exchanged words with Mavericks wing Naji Marshall before aggressively palming his head.
Marshall retaliated with a punch as officials rushed to break up the fight. Adding to the chaos, Mavs forward PJ Washington shoved Nurkic to the ground.
Irving, standing just feet away, appeared visibly stunned as he watched the brawl unfold. After the game, Irving addressed his reaction and explained why he didn’t step in to protect his teammates.
“I was a little confused. It happened so quickly,” Irving said, via Mike Curtis of the *Dallas Morning News*. “In moments like that, you just want everybody to protect themselves. I think that’s what PJ was doing for Naji. After Naji got hit, he was just defending himself. If we’re out on the street, even if it’s not basketball, you gotta put your hands up and at least swing back.”
Irving also pledged to cover Washington’s fine and jokingly suggested that the altercation might actually help the NBA’s ratings.
“I’ll take care of PJ’s fine,” Irving said. “Their ejections—yeah, throw that s–t under the rug. Excuse my language. It’s part of basketball sometimes. Haven’t seen it in a while. Maybe that’s how we close out 2024—with somebody actually swinging in the NBA. Maybe that’ll help our ratings.”
Once tempers cooled, the Mavericks secured a 98-89 victory. Irving led the team with 20 points, four rebounds, and five assists, capping off a wild night in Dallas.