WATCH: Jimmy Butler Challenges Nikola Jokic to a Fight in a Fit of Rage After Ugly NBA Collision

After defeating one of the best teams of the Western Conference, Miami Heat was all set to face the Denver Nuggets. As uninteresting as this matchup sounds, that was far from the reality. It’s true, the Nuggets were able to dominate the game from start to finish, but the drama that ensued between Nikola Jokic, Markieff Morris, and Jimmy Butler amidst the heated game had everyone shocked.

What started off with a normal collision between two NBA players, became extremely violent, and even brutally verbal. Here’s what transpired during the Heat vs Nuggets games.

Jimmy Butler, in a fit of rage against Nikola Jokic

The Miami Heat had just made a big statement by defeating the Utah Jazz 118-115 before beginning their journey to the west coast. They had to begin by playing against the Denver Nuggets which only led to a disappointing performance and an eventual 113-96 defeat.

The Nuggets were without Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, and yet could improve their record to 6-4. Prior to this, the Heat had won all of their games against teams in the West. But this matchup turned into a battlefield, very quickly and literally.

With less than 3 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris collided with each other, which seemed normal at first. However, something came over Jokic, who pushed Morris with so much force, that he fell to the floor and couldn’t get up. So, Morris’ teammates came to his rescue and reacted to the unnecessary push with anger.

But it was Jimmy Butler who lost all control and couldn’t stop screaming at Jokic, who had been ejected and benched because of his actions.

That’s what leaders do, taking one for the team.

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The Denver Nuggets got lucky

If this incident had happened at the beginning of the game, instead of towards the end, the Denver Nuggets could have been in big trouble. Having to play without the 2021 MVP would have cost them this game. Jokic finished the night with a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds. and 10 assists.

The Serbian showed a lot of patience against a persistent defense of the Heat. Not only did he find ways to score but helped his teammates to do the same as well. Other than that, his actions led to the birth of a whole new rivalry. Only time can tell whether this will eventually die down, or turn into something even bigger.

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