"I was hoping he's gonna pay my fine but nah"- Nikola Jokic reveals secret intentions for ending feud with Mat Ishbia
Nikola Jokic joked about his altercation with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4. Jokic appeared to elbow Ishbia and got a technical for his actions. The Suns' owner tried to influence the game, sitting courtside by refusing to give up the possession of the ball to Jokic, who had to snatch it out of his hands.
Rumors emerged that Jokic could get suspended for entering the crowd and engaging in a physical altercation. However, Ishbia took to Twitter to mend things, writing:
"Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! That should be and is the only story. Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. I have alot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!"
Before Game 5 in Denver, Nikola Jokic and Mat Ishbia shook hands to end their potential feud. Jokic hilariously gave Ishbia a ball as well. The Nuggets star spoke about the pre-game incident on TNT's "Inside The NBA," show and made another hilarious comment, saying:
"I will do the same thing if it's anybody else in the Phoenix (camp)... That's what I like to do... Keep the game going. I just wanted to make fun at least a little bit. And I was hoping he's gonna pay my fine, but nah!"
"I was hoping he was gonna pay my fine, but no." 🤣🤣
Jokic says it's all good between him and Mat Ishbia after their pre-game exchange 🤝 https://t.co/imR1odhrVV
"The Joker" is just as easygoing and calm off the court as he is competitive on it. That's what has made him a likable figure in the NBA. Despite being issued a hefty fine of $25,000 for the altercation, Jokic put the difference aside and mended things with Mat Ishbia.
Nikola Jokic pulls off a Mat Ishbia in Game 5 with Kevin Durant
Nikola Jokic was in the middle of another altercation during Game 5 on Tuesday. The Denver Nuggets star tried to frustrate the Phoenix Suns during a timeout late in the third quarter. The Nuggets were up 20 at that point. Jokic and Bruce Brown tried sneaking into the Suns' huddle, hoping to see the play they planned to run coming out of the timeout.
Jock Landale shoved Jokic before Kevin Durant, who was having another rough shooting night, elbowed the Serbian center. "The Joker" flopped big time, exaggerating Durant's off-ball contact, which saw the referees issue a technical foul to the latter.
Here's a clip of that play:
Kevin Durant shoves Nikola Jokic; KD gets a tech https://t.co/DsBjCDZpT5
Nikola Jokic's antics seemed to have worked as the Phoenix Suns fell further behind in their pursuit to close the gap to the Denver Nuggets down the stretch. The Nuggets extended their 20-point advantage to 24 in the first couple minutes of the fourth, putting the game to bed at that stage.