Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA after hitting Phoenix Suns centre Jusuf Nurkic in the face, receiving a Flagrant 2 foul, and getting ejected. The league announced the penalty and stated that Green will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he can return to play. This is Green’s second suspension this season and the 18th time he has been ejected in his career, the most among active NBA players.
The incident occurred during a game when Green and Nurkic were battling for position and got tangled up. Green then hit Nurkic in the face, causing him to crumple to the ground. Nurkic expressed that the act had nothing to do with basketball and stated that he was just trying to play the game. Despite Green apologizing to Nurkic, the NBA noted that the suspension takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.
This is Green’s second suspension this season, as he was previously suspended for five games for an altercation in November. The NBA has rarely issued indefinite suspensions, with one instance being Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas’ suspension in 2010 for bringing firearms into the team locker room. The league later suspended Arenas for 50 games, stating that he was not fit to take the court.
In a separate game, Philadelphia defeated Detroit 129-111, inflicting the Pistons’ 21st straight loss, matching their longest losing streak in franchise history. This is the sixth-longest single-season losing streak in the NBA. Meanwhile, New Orleans routed the Washington Wizards 141-122, led by Brandon Ingram’s season-high 40 points and six 3-pointers from Trey Murphy III. Additionally, the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets 115-104, with Duncan Robinson scoring 23 points and Kyle Lowry contributing a perfect shooting performance.