NBA
Denver’s Nikola Jokic was fined $25k, but will not receive a suspension after his Game 4 incident with Suns owner Matt Ishbia
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated09 May 2023
In the second quarter of Game 4 on Sunday, Denver’s Nikola Jokic got into a small altercation with a fan. That fan happened to be new Suns owner Matt Ishbia and the incident became viral on social media. The league announced that Jokic would not receive a suspension for his small altercation with Ishbia. Instead, he was fined $25k for “improper contact with a spectator sitting courtside”.
Since the incident happened, Suns owner Matt Ishbia went on social media to address the incident. He believed that no one should receive a suspension or be fined over the incident in Game 4. Ishbia was also happy that his Suns got a win to tie up the series. His tone may have changed if Phoenix had not won.
There may be some built-up tension between the two sides in Game 5 after the altercation between Jokic and Ishbia. Colorado Sports Betting sites have the Nuggets at (-215) to win Game 5 at home tonight.
Nikola Jokic shoves Suns Owner Matt Ishbia after trying to get the ball 😬 pic.twitter.com/tnYsILH3kV
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) May 8, 2023
Nikola Jokic was fined $25k for “shoving” Suns owner Matt Ishbia in the second quarter of Game 4
After the incident happened in the second quarter, Jokic was assessed a technical foul and the game moved along. It was not until halftime and after the game that the incident became the talking piece of the night and into Monday morning. Veteran NBA official Tony Brothers deemed that a technical foul was necessary.
Brothers said that there was “some engagement” with the fan and the tech was the right call in his eyes. Nikola Jokic was not so pleased with the technical foul after the game and has yet to make a public statement about being fined $25k. After Denver’s Game 4 loss, the two-time MVP had this to say about “shoving” Suns owner Matt Ishbia.
“He’s a fan, isn’t he?” Jokić said. “He’s sitting on the court, then he’s a fan, isn’t he? … Whoever it is, he is a fan. He cannot influence the game holding the ball.” – Nikola Jokic
A suspension would have sent the NBA media into a whirlwind and the fine was likely the right decision. Jokic did not shove Ishbia very hard at all. The Sun’s owner flopped more than anything and sold the push as Jokic made contact with him.
