Friday’s game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets featured a wild brawl after one player decided to stare down his opponent after a poster dunk.
The melee happened in the third quarter when Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr threw down a vicious poster dunk over the top of Spurs forward Zach Collins. Porter proceeded to let him know about it by staring him down after the dunk, which Collins did not take kindly to.
Collins then ran up to Porter as he was running back on defense and bumped him in the back, which caused Porter to retaliate by grabbing Collins by the neck.
Well, well, well what do we have going on here 🤔@spurs | #PorVida pic.twitter.com/3Rfd0f6lU4
— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) March 11, 2023
Luckily the brawl ended as quickly as it started, as players from both teams were able to separate the two players and stop a full-on fight from happening. The incident was taken under review, and both Collins and Porter were ejected for their roles in the play.
Zach Collins and Michael Porter Jr. have been ejected.@spurs | #PorVida pic.twitter.com/40ka1pElRN
— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) March 11, 2023
Many around the NBA world took notice of the altercation and offered their opinion on social media.
Michael Porter Jr. just tried to choke Zach Collins 😳 pic.twitter.com/LHlxDD6Jny
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) March 11, 2023
You can’t choke a guy MPJ pic.twitter.com/SOfwxLI17S
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 11, 2023
Collins was going at Joker. Bumping him, fouling him, irriating him. MPJ yammed on him, and had some words for him. That's backing up the MVP.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) March 11, 2023
OH SHOOT, MPJ CHOKED ZACH COLLINS pic.twitter.com/lp9yTsqynl
— buckets (@buckets) March 11, 2023
So, MPJ is just supposed to let this goon headbutt him and do nothing??? https://t.co/kpuZJa5yUD
— Myck Miller (@MyckMiller) March 11, 2023
Getting MPJ ejected for a dunk is 3D chess. https://t.co/1pvh8HZ5Jl
— My Full Name: Michael Francis Acker (@mikeacker) March 11, 2023
It’s unclear if this incident will lead to any further discipline coming down from the NBA. Even though it was brief, choking another player is obviously not a good look and will likely be something that is at the very least further examined by the league.
The Spurs did go on to win the game 128-120 over Denver, so in a way Collins and his teammates got the last laugh in this situation.
[Bally Sports San Antonio on Twitter]
