“I have a lot of respect for Jokic” – Suns owner begs NO SUSPENSION for Nikola Jokic after ‘shoving incident’
Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Receives Technical Foul for Contact with Phoenix Suns Owner Mat Ishbia
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Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post
The NBA playoffs were shaken up by a strange occurrence on Sunday night when Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets received a technical foul for making contact with Mat Ishbia, the owner of the Phoenix Suns. In Phoenix’s Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, the incident took place in the second quarter.
As the outcome of the game hung in the balance, Jokic went into the crowd to recover the ball and launch the Nuggets’ ensuing attacking possession. Jokic motioned for the ball as he attempted to take it from Ishbia, but the ball sailed further into the crowd, striking Ishbia in the chest. Ishbia, a member of the 2000 Michigan State team that won the NCAA title, slid back into his seat after being shoved. Referee crew chief Tony Brothers ruled that the shove was intentional and assessed Jokic a technical penalty.
However, Ishbia tweeted his belief on Monday morning that a suspension or fine would be unwarranted. “Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far!” he wrote. “That should be and is the only story. Suspending or fining anyone over last night’s incident would not be right. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!”
Nikola Jokic’s response and opinion on the incident
After the game, Jokic addressed the incident with reporters. He told them that he just wanted to get the next play started quickly while trying to get Ishbia, whom he referred to as a “fan,” of him. When asked about the fan’s allegations of elbowing, Jokic replied, “But the fan put the hand on me first. I thought the league is supposed to protect us, or whatever, but maybe I’m wrong.”
Jokic also questioned Ishbia’s presence courtside, stating that he was “influencing the game” and should have been “kicked out if he’s influencing the game.” However, Jokic added that he knew who Ishbia was but considered him a fan.
Despite the incident, Jokic put up an impressive performance, scoring a career-best 53 points in Denver’s 129-124 loss. Nevertheless, his technical foul could result in further disciplinary action, with the league yet to comment on the matter.
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Vivek Yadav
(624 Articles Published)