"They're going to protect the fan?"- Nikola Jokic is not happy with Mat Ishbia for holding the ball as he faces a possible suspension
Nikola Jokic was assessed a technical foul for shoving Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia late in the second-quarter. When asked about the altercation after the game, "Joker' was very candid about his thoughts.
Game 4 saw a lot of things go wrong for the Denver Nuggets. Although Jokic had himself a big night with 53 points and 11 assists, Denver still came up short in a 129-124 loss.
The defeat, however, will be a minor concern as the Nuggets head back for their next game at home. In the second-quarter, the Nuggets superstar ended up in some trouble after entering an altercation with some fans courtside at the Footprint Center.
While going to retrieve a ball from out of bounds, Jokic was mobbed by the fans. One of the fans, who happened to be Mat Ishbia, put a hand on the Nuggets big man's back and even held onto the ball. In response, with consideration for tempers flaring during the game, Jokic ended up shoving the Suns owner, who stumbled back onto his chair.
Watch the altercation between Jokic and Ishbia below.
Nikola Jokic shoves Suns Owner Matt Ishbia after trying to get the ball 😬 https://t.co/tnYsILH3kV
Nikola Jokic was asked about the altercation after the game. While addressing the media, he said:
"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 was asked whether he knew who the fan was. The big man responded by saying regardless of who he was, he was still a fan. He was also asked whether he was worried about fines or suspensions. "Joker" responded by saying:
"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."
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
Jokic was very frank about his thoughts on the matter. However, with the state of affairs in the league, the Nuggets superstar may be in some trouble.
Nikola Jokic may face suspension
Altercations in the NBA are very tricky situations to navigate when it comes to penalizing the guilty parties. While it is easy to hand out double technicals to players involved, the officials face a harder call when an issue arises between a player and a fan.
With particular reference to the Nikola Jokic-Mat Ishbia conflict, Jokic was assessed a technical. However, the notion of suspending Jokic for Game 5 isn't out of the question at all.
As per the rule book, a player would usually be ejected for entering the stands. There is some room for speculation as "Joker" was technically courtside. But a physical altercation with a fan certainly doesn't help his case in the slightest.
The Nuggets will await the news regarding Nikola Jokic's status for Game 5, regardless. With a crucial game on the line, Denver will need their superstar to lead them.
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