Magic Johnson 'didn't appreciate' Nikola Jokic entanglement
Nikola Jokic has found himself making headlines following an altercation with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia. This took place during the Phoenix Suns' Game 4 win on Sunday.
The incident occurred when Ishbia refused to give Nikola Jokic the ball back after it had gone out of bounds, which then lead to the former MVP snatching it back before shoving Ishbia with his elbow.
Following the incident, legendary point guard Magic Johnson took to Twitter jokingly state that he didn't appreciate Nikola Jokic's actions. Especially as Ishbia is a fellow Michigan State Spartan alumni.
Jokic, I enjoyed your performance, but I didn’t appreciate the elbow to my fellow Spartan and Suns Owner Mat Ishbia lol
Unfortunately for Jokic, things didn't stop there, as his team fell to their second straight defeat at the hands of the Kevin Durant-led Suns. The loss evened up the series at 2-2.
Nevertheless, Jokic was a force of nature during the contest, producing a jaw-dropping stat line of 53 points, 11 assists, four rebounds and one block. He shot 66.7% from the field, including 50% from 3-point range and 84.6% from the charity stripe.
Now Nikola Jokic will need to wait and see whether the NBA decides to issue a fine and/or a suspension for his part in the altercation. The NBA continues to crack down on players and fans who get embroiled in arguments with each other.
Mike Malone issues an expletive-laden statement over Nikola Jokic technical
When addressing the media following the game, Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone was asked about his opinion regarding Nikola Jokic's shove on Ishbia. Malone provided an expletive-filled response.
Mike Malone: "I think it's crazy that Nikola [Jokic] got a technical foul… He's going to get the ball and some fan is holding onto the ball like he wants to be apart of the game."
Reporter: "The fan was the owner of the Suns."
MM: "I don't give a sh*t."
https://t.co/pMrfe1HUGE
"I'm still not really sure what happened," Malone said. "I haven't seen a video of it. I just think it's crazy that Nikola got a technical foul in that situation. He's going to get the ball, and some fan is holding onto the ball like he wants to be part of the game.
"Just give the ball up, man. And they deem Nikola to be doing something that was excessive, I guess, and they gave him the tech, but I still don't really understand it...I don't give a shit (that is was the Suns owner) I really don't care."
The Suns and Nuggets are back on even footing following Phoenix's latest win, meaning whoever wins their next game will have control of the series.
However, the NBA could have a hand in the final outcome of the series between the two teams, depending on whether they suspend Nikola Jokic. Still, regardless of Jokic's availability, the two teams are scheduled to face off again on Tuesday with the series heading back to Denver.
So far in the series, both teams have won all of their games in front of their home crowd. If the Suns want to make it past the Nuggets, they will need to win game 5 or game 7 in Denver. The Nuggets hold homecourt advantage in the series and don't need to win a game in Phoenix if they can take care of business at home.