Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic has been fined, but he won’t be suspended for the Suns’ Game 5.
Denver The Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia and center Nikola Jokic’s confrontation will not result in a fine for the Nuggets center.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets will receive a fine but not a suspension for Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns. The penalties for him is $25,000, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN.
Jokic was penalized for an argument he had with Suns owner Mat Ishbia yesterday during the second quarter of Phoenix’s 129-124 victory in Game 4. Jokic had elbowed Ishbia as he attempted to get the ball back from his hands.
Ishbia stated on Twitter that Jokic wasn’t the right candidate for suspension.
“A fantastic victory for the Suns last night in an incredible series thus far! The sole narrative is what it ought to be. It would be inappropriate to fine or suspend someone for what happened last night. I appreciate Jokic greatly and would like not to witness anything similar. Looking forward to game 5! Go, Suns! Ishbia tweeted after the fourth game.
The chief official, Tony Brothers, provided this justification for Jokic’s technical for the incident.
“The ball went over into the corner there and one of the fans was holding the ball,” Brothers said. “Jokic came to get the ball, grabbed it away from the fan, then after that he deliberately gave him a shove and pushed him down, so he was issued an unsportsmanlike technical foul.”
Speaking after the game, Jokic was unhappy with the call.
“I thought the league was supposed to protect us or whatever, but maybe I’m wrong. We will see,” Jokic said on the incident.
Nuggets head coach Mike Malone wasn’t happy after the fact
I’ve yet to view a video of what transpired, so I’m still not really convinced. It’s absurd, in my opinion, that Nikola was given a technical foul as he was about to receive the ball and a fan was holding onto it because he wanted to participate in the play. Man, just give up the ball. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think they gave Nikola the tech because they thought he was acting excessively.