It was quite the ordeal when Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic got into it with fans and made contact with Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia while trying to retrieve a basketball that went into the crowd during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals at Footprint Center.
Jokic slightly sent his arm into the chest of Ishbia, who clearly embellished the contact and flailed back into his seat, but cooler heads ultimately prevailed not only on the court, but in the league office on Monday.
While some speculated Jokic could be suspended for Tuesday’s Game 5 for his altercation with Ishbia, the NBA did not take that action. Instead, the league only assessed Jokic a $25,000 fine, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
It could have been a big swing for the Suns, who have won the last two games to even up the best-of-seven series, if the two-time NBA MVP got suspended. But that’s something even Ishbia made clear he didn’t want to happen.
Jokic obviously is a massive asset for the Nuggets as he is averaging 36.5 points per game in the series and is coming off of a 53-point performance in a 129-124 Game 4 loss.
And back in front of the home crowd for Game 5, Jokic probably won’t have to worry about any similar encounters occurring along the sideline.
