Heat’s Caleb Martin fined for brawling with Christian Koloko, Nikola Jovic also suspended
Caleb Martin’s scuffle with Christian Koloko will keep him out of Monday night’s Miami-Toronto rematch.
Martin was suspended by the NBA for one game after the league determined he was the instigator in a scuffle with Koloko that spilled into baseline seats near the Miami bench during a Heat Raptors game Saturday night.
Heat rookie Nikola Jovic was also suspended after he was found to have left the bench area during the incident. Koloko was fined $15,000 for grabbing Martin during the altercation.
Caleb Martin (right) was handed a one-game suspension following his scuffle with Christian Koloko
Martin grabs Koloko in the front row of the stands, sparking a brawl during Saturday’s game
The league imposed the penalties on Sunday night. Martin and Jovic will miss Monday’s Raptors Heat game. Both Martin and Koloko were called for technical fouls and were thrown out of Saturday’s matchup.
“Overall, I have to be more professional about situations like this,” Martin said Saturday night after Miami clinched a 112-109 win.
Jovic hasn’t even made his NBA regular-season debut yet. Martin will lose around $44,700 in salary as a result of his suspension, and Jovic will lose around $15,500.
Heat rookie Nikola Jovic was also suspended after it was discovered he had left the bench area
Martin fouled Koloko as the two jostled for position on a rebound early in the third quarter that took the Raptors rookie down.
Martin walked towards him, Koloko jumped up quickly, tempers flaring and Martin then backed Koloko into the seats – the ones that took the brunt of the impact and which weren’t occupied by fans at the time.
There were some fans in nearby squares who had contact with those involved in the scrum.
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse (right) helps pull teammates away
The incident sparked a mass brawl involving players from both teams
Koloko wasn’t sure why any of this had happened.
“I was just as confused as you,” Koloko said. ‘I have no idea. … I don’t even know him, so I don’t know what was going on in his head.’
Jovic was standing at the end of the heat bench, not far from where Martin and Koloko tangled, but was still found to have broken the NBA rule that said all players who didn’t participate in the game, during the game stay in close proximity to their bench have a confrontation.
Security personnel from both teams rushed to the scene to end the situation, as did nearly every other player on the court at the time, at least two Heat assistants and Raptors coach Nick Nurse – whose bench sat across the court.
“Christian will be fine,” said Nurse.
