Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside has been suspended for one game without pay for his elbowing San Antonio Spurs center Boban Marjanovic.
The punishment was announced by NBA executive Kiki Vandeweghe on Thursday.
The 26-year-old was ejected with 9:35 left in the fourth quarter during the Spurs' 119-101 win at Miami on Tuesday night. He swung his right elbow after a free throw, smacking Marajonovic on the side of the face and knocking him backward.
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The Spurs benefited from a four-point play as Paddy Mills was fouled during the process of shooting a three. Seeing the Australian make the following free throw, that's when things got worse for the Heat.
As the two battled for a potential rebound on Mills' shot, that was when Whiteside landed his elbow on Marjanovic. The Miami center was given a flagrant-2 foul and ejected from the game.
Marjanovic made the succeeding shot from the free-throw line before Kawhi Leonard added two with the Spurs' possession after the foul, and the Heat were never able to recover after those 30 seconds left them trailing by 13.
This is the third time Whiteside has been ejected from a game since the 2014-15 season, which is a league high for the time period.
Last season, the 26-year-old was ejected from a game against the Boston Celtics when he slammed a forearm into Kelly Olynyk. This happened just a week after he was ejected for an on-court dispute with Phoenix Suns' Alex Len.
Whiteside will serve his suspension on February 19 when Miami plays the Hawks in Atlanta.
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