Nikola Jokic avoids suspension, fined $25,000 for shoving Suns team owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4

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DENVER – Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won’t be suspended after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first half of Phoenix’s Game 4 home win Sunday for shoving Suns team owner Mat Ishbia, but the NBA fined him $25,000, the league announced Monday afternoon.

The fine was for “making improper conduct with a spectator.”

NBA officials confirmed to The Republic that Jokic won’t be suspended.

The Western Conference semifinal series is tied 2-2 going into Tuesday’s Game 5 at Ball Arena in Denver.

Jokic wasn’t ejected from the game with 2:36 left in the second quarter, but crew chief Tony Brothers concluded the two-time NBA MVP “deliberately” shoved Ishbia, who fell back into his courtside seat.

“The ball went over into the corner there and one of the fans was holding the ball,” Brothers said in the pool report with the fan being Ishbia. “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.”

Ishbia tweeted Monday morning he didn’t want Jokic to be suspended or fined.

“Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! That should be and is the only story. Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. I have alot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!”

More: Suns team owner Mat Ishbia is wrong; NBA must suspend Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic after scrum

Brothers also explained why Jokic wasn’t ejected from Game 4.

“I just deemed the technical foul the appropriate penalty for what happened over there,” Brothers said. “He didn’t just run over and hit a fan. There was some engagement, so I deemed the technical foul the appropriate penalty.

Jokic scored a playoff career-high 53 points to go along with 11 assists in Game 4. The two-time NBA MVP said he thought Ishbia was “influencing” the game for having the ball after a Phoenix turnover.

Story continues

“He’s a fan isn’t he?” Jokic said in addressing a question about the identity of Ishbia. “Sitting on the court,…

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Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2023-05-08 22:20:22

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