But the Nuggets and Heat were involved in an altercation on Nov. 8, 2021, that resulted in a suspension for Jokic and a fine for Butler. Jokic shoved Markieff Morris from behind following a hard foul from Morris. Heat players were upset at what they perceived to be a cheap shot from Jokic and Butler could be seen telling Jokic to"bring your to the back." A viral photo showed Butler, Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo lined up outside the Nuggets locker room postgame..
“I don't think it has too much to do with anything, this thing in the past," Butler said Wednesday. “It's high-level competition. But I will say I wasn't talking to Jokic. That wasn't my beef. Make sure you write that.” Said Denver coach Michael Malone: “It hasn't come up in any of my thoughts, discussions, narratives. That's a question probably more suited for the Miami Heat. For us, all we're worried about is winning Game 1. That's our sole focus. None of the storylines that accompany this series are going to distract us from that focus.” —