Denver Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Game 4 on Sunday after an altercation with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia. Late in the second quarter, Suns guard Josh Okogie crashed into the seats while trying to save a loose ball.
The ball flew backward into the crowd, and then Ishbia was knocked backward by Jokic’s elbow. There were a few minutes of confusion as officials sorted out the weird scene, and then Jokic was assessed a technical foul.
He landed in a group of fans on the baseline that included Ishbia, who grabbed the basketball. Jokic was trying to get the basketball quickly apparently so the Nuggets could start their offensive possession when he tried to take the ball away from Ishbia.
Ishbia told The Associated Press at halftime that he was ‘fine’ and more worried about the game than the altercation. He was back in his usual seats in the second half. Ishbia has only been the Suns’ owner for a few months, purchasing the team from the embattled Robert Sarver.
‘I think it’s crazy that Nikola Jokic got a technical foul,’ he said. ‘He’s going to get the ball and some fan is holding onto the ball like he wants to be apart of the game. When Malone was told that ‘some fan’ was actually Ishbia, he said: ‘I don’t give a s***.’
The Suns led 63-61 in Game 4 at halftime. They would go on to win the game 129-124. Nuggets coach Mike Malone said after the game that he was stunned Jokic got a technical for the incident. Until late in the fourth quarter the game had been truly a back-and-forth affair with both sides fighting hard to gain control. Despite being at the center of push-gate Jokic registered a career-playoff high with 53 points in the contest.
