Author: Monojit Mandal
The NBA has fined Nuggets player Nikola-Jokic US$25,000 for making inappropriate physical contact with Suns boss Mat-Ishbia in the stands during Game 4 of the second-round series. Jokic, on the other hand, will not be punished and will play in Game 5 of the series, which is tied 2-2.
During Game 4, Jokic was flagged for an expert foul in the second quarter in an attempt to steal the ball from Ishbia, who was resting on the side of the court, and elbow him. The incident sparked an online debate about whether Ishbia was dodging, or whether Jokic’s touch was serious.
Suns player Josh Okogie crashed into the stands trying to recover a loose ball. He fell into a crowd of fans on the back line, including Ishbia, who was holding the basketball. Jokic tried to take the ball out of Ishbia’s hand, and the ball went backwards into the crowd, knocking Ishbia backwards with his elbow joint.
Jokic defended his activity after the game, saying that he was just trying to get the ball quickly so that the Nuggets could start their offensive possession. Jokic’s technical penalty and the Suns’ free scoring chance resulted from the confusion.
Despite what happened, Jokic and Ishbia didn’t seem to be worried. According to Ishbia, he was more concerned with the game than the match-up, and Jokic scored or assisted on 78 points throughout the game, the most by a player in an NBA playoff game.
Ishbia praised the Suns’ performance on Twitter and recommended no further disciplinary action against Jokic, saying that he was “fine” and back to his normal spots during the second half.
The NBA’s decision to punish Jokic instead of suspending him means that he will be able to play in Game 5 against the Suns. With the series tied 2-2 and emotions running high, all eyes will be on the players to see if there will be any more fights.
With tensions running high, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the series unfolds. However, as they compete for a place in the Western Conference finals, both teams will certainly be concentrating on their operation on the court, rather than on any event off it.