Nikola Jokic will not be suspended for Game 5 for pushing Suns owner Mat Ishbia
Nikola Jokic will no be suspended after the altercation that he had with the new owner of the Phoenix Suns, Mat Ishbia, in Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-finals. The altercation took place late in the fourth quarter after Jokic attempted to take the ball from Ishbia, which led to the two-time MVP shoving the owner.
According to the league, Jokic will not be suspended for Game 5. However, he was fined $25,000 by the NBA for shoving Ishbia. Based on the statement that the league released, the fine was issued due to the Serbian center "making improper contact with a spectator sitting courtside."
The following was released by the NBA. https://t.co/uMB9t5nvi4
Jokic will be fined $25K, source tells ESPN. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi confirmed the fine earlier. Watch below to see what happened during the altercation between Ishbia and Jokic.
The Suns won Game 4, which tied the series with both teams having two wins apiece. Jokic, on the other hand, dominated the game and finished with 53 points, 11 assists and four rebounds. Still, that wasn't enough as Phoenix took another road game from them. The five-time All-Star is averaging 30.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 9.2 assists in this year's playoffs.
You might also be interested in reading this: "The REAL MVP"- NBA fans in awe of Nikola Jokic whose 53-point masterclass is ruined in Game 4
Nikola Jokic wasn't happy with how the NBA handled his interaction with Mat Ishbia
Nikola Jokic is one of the league's best players right now, and he's earned his spot as one of the most marketable players. Still, that didn't stop the league from giving the All-Star center a fine after his encounter with the Suns' team owner. Following their loss, Jokic vocalized how displeased he is with how the altercation was handled.
"He told me I was elbowing the fan, but the fan put his hands on me first. I thought the league is supposed to protect us or whatever. But maybe I'm wrong. So we'll see." Jokic said.
Jokic was then asked if he had any idea who the fan was at the time. He answered it indirectly by saying that regardless of who the person was, that person is still considered a fan.
"He put his hands on me. They're not going to protect me, they're going to protect the fan? Alright. Not me, as a person. I'm talking about as a player. They [fans] can do whatever of course. They don't care. But I think they're supposed to protect players," Jokic said when asked if he's worried about getting fined or suspended.
Nikola Jokic addresses the incident with Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4 tonight:
"He told me I was elbowing the fan, but the fan put his hands on me first. I thought the league is supposed to protect us. But maybe I'm wrong" https://t.co/uLL8qBS17H
For a superstar who has won the MVP two times, it's odd to see him fined for trying to protect himself. The league hasn't released a statement whether Ishbia will be in any sort of trouble or not.
Game 5 will be in Denver as the Nuggets will attempt to get the edge over the Suns.
Also read: "Didn't know Stevie Wonder was a ref"- Nuggets fans are fuming after no-call on Nikola Jokic by Deandre Ayton costs them Game 4