NBA superstar Kevin Durant didn’t appreciate being replaced by Grant Williams as the Phoenix Suns beat the Dallas Mavericks 132-109.
Williams got a little overzealous in trying to be physical with Durant when the latter was knocked to the ground.
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However, the Mavericks star added fuel to the fire when he decided to step over Durant while the latter was on the ground.
Durant’s Phoenix teammate, Josef Nurkic, quickly arrived on the scene and pushed Williams, triggering retaliation from the latter when he tried to push Nurkic away.
The incident then led to an all-out brawl as players from both teams attempted to defuse the situation.
Durant, Nurkic and Williams all received technical fouls for their roles in the altercation.
The incident was the flashpoint of a game that saw a significant capitulation from the Mavericks in the second half.
Having led by one point at halftime, Dallas was outscored 43-20 in the second half as they capitulated in front of their own fans.
Dallas superstar Luka Doncic was the only bright spot for the hosts as he came agonizingly close to a triple double with 34 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but received little help from his team. teammates.
Devin Booker dazzled the Suns with 46 points while Durant finished with a double-double thanks to 12 points and 10 rebounds.
TOUCHING TRIBUTE OF WARRIORS AFTER COACH’S SHOCKED DEATH
The Golden State Warriors paid a moving tribute to Dejan Milojevic on Wednesday as the team returned to play for the first time since the Serbian assistant coach died last week of a heart attack.
The Warriors went on to beat the Atlanta Hawks 134-112, but it was the emotional scenes before the game that grabbed the headlines.
In an emotional pregame ceremony before the Warriors’ home game against Atlanta, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr led a lengthy standing ovation to salute the 46-year-old affectionately known as “Deki “.
Warriors players wore team jerseys emblazoned with Milojevic’s name while the Serbian national anthem was played in honor of the late coach.
The players then placed their jerseys on Milojevic’s usual seat on the Warriors bench.
Warriors players also wore t-shirts with the word “Brate” – “brother” in Serbian – during warm-ups.
That gesture was mirrored in Dallas, where Mavericks star Luka Doncic wore the same T-shirt ahead of his team’s clash against Phoenix.
“The world lost a beautiful soul last week,” Kerr told a hushed Chase Center crowd Wednesday.
“Deki was a wonderful friend, a hell of a basketball coach, a wonderful man and most importantly, a wonderful grandson, son, husband and father.
“What he meant to us is a big part of who we are. It is part of our soul. The outpouring of love we received last week from all over the world…is a direct reflection of the joy and love he brought to everyone he met.
“So tonight, rather than a moment of silence, I would like us all to give Deki a standing ovation that he can hear in heaven.”
Milojevic, who played in Spain and Turkey as well as in his native country, where he began his coaching career, joined the Warriors as an assistant in 2021.
He was part of the staff of the team that won the NBA championship in 2022. He died last week after collapsing during a team dinner in Salt Lake City, plunging the Warriors and the team into mourning. NBA community.
Warriors players will play with a patch bearing Milojevic’s initials – “DM” – on the team’s jerseys for the remainder of the season.
A DM logo inside a heart will also remain on the Warriors’ field for the remainder of the season.
SOMEWHERE ELSE …
THE Cleveland Cavaliers’ The eight-game winning streak came to a screeching halt at the hands of Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks came out on top 126-116 over the Cavaliers in their first game since the firing of former head coach Adrian Griffin.
Griffin’s firing came as somewhat of a surprise given that Milwaukee was 30-13 and in second place in the Eastern Conference standings at the time.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple double finishing with 35 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.
New Miami signing Terry Rozier had a disastrous start for his new team after the Heat lost 105-96 against a heavily exhausted country Memphis Grizzlies.
Rozier, who moved to Miami on Wednesday in a deal to send Kyle Lowry to Charlotte, scored nine points along with four rebounds and five assists in the loss.
FULL RESULTS
Pistons 113-106 Hornets
Wizards 107-118 Timber wolves
Heat 96-105 Grizzlies
Rockets 131-137 Trail Blazers
Deer 126-116 Horsemen
Nonconformists 109-132 Suns
Warriors 134-112 Falcons
Spurs 114-140 Thunder
