Heat’s Jimmy Butler Rips Pelicans After Scuffle: ‘We’ll Beat Them The Next Time Too, We’re Just A Better Team’

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler ripped the New Orleans Pelicans after the two NBA teams got into a scuffle last night (2/23). 

Butler was among four players ejected after a scuffle early in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 106-95 victory over the Pelicans. 

“We’ll beat them the next time too,” Butler said after the game. “We’re just a better team. Our team is so ready for anything that anybody’s thrown at us. We’re so together, playing some incredible basketball. I don’t think it matters who we go up against right now. It’s that time of the year.”

The scuffle began after Pelicans star Zion Williamson stole the ball from Butler and Heat veteran Kevin Love grabbed Williamson to prevent an uncontested layup. After Love fouled Williamson, New Orleans forward Naji Marshall pushed Love and Butler engaged Marshall. 

Marshall grabbed Butler by the neck and that’s when all hell broke loose. 

HEAT VS. PELICANS. 👀

pic.twitter.com/9IcDpodViG

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 24, 2024

Heat center Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado were ejected after throwing punches at each other. Butler and Marshall, of course, were ejected too. 

“I wasn’t tripping about K-Love because he actually protected me on my fall,” Williamson told NBA reporters. “All of a sudden, I see Butler kind of lunging toward Naji, so I’m trying to get there like, ‘Yo, relax, like what’s going on?'”

A fan wearing a Pelicans jersey began throwing things at Heat players as Alvarado and Bryant scuffled and was ejected by security. Soon after, a fan wearing a Heat jersey was escorted out.

Pelicans fans gave Marshall and Alvarado a standing ovation as they left the court. Marshall and Alvarado left the arena without speaking with reporters.

“We’ll just see what happens from the league,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Everybody’s intentions were right at first, but you get a bunch of competitive people out there and it kind of boiled over.”