Hot 4 game between Nuggets And suns Unexpectedly on Sunday due to a strange side interaction between Nikola Jokic and Phoenix owner Matt Ishpia that led discipline for the stellar Denver center.
The incident occurred after Joki attempted to secure a rebound after blocking a layup by Deandre Ayton with Denver up, 56-55, at 2:36 of the second quarter. Joki and Suns guard Josh Okgie attempted to catch the ball before it rolled out of bounds and into the hands of what appeared to be a front row fan.
As it turns out, that fan was none other than Ishbia, who briefly came face to face with Jokic before the Serbian big man tried to rip the ball away. A confused Joki then looked around before appearing to push Ishbia away with his forearm while he and a few other onlookers reacted to the moment. The wild scene (which turned off NBA Twitter) got even more dramatic when the Suns’ owner delivered an apparent flop off a Joki push while the crowd showered the two-time MVP with boos.
After a brief pause to review scrimmage, the referee staff penalized Jokić with an unsportsmanlike technical foul, which led to a technical free throw by Suns star Kevin Durant to tie the game. Moments later, a spectator seated near Ishbia was ejected from the match and was escorted by security.
Jokic encourages Suns owner Matt Ishpia 😳 pic.twitter.com/5UBBAkM2Ba
Complex Sports May 8, 2023
The Nuggets would get the ball back after the skirmish and finished the half with a 63-61 lead.
With tension verging on a fever pitch, the second half of Game 4 on Sunday could feature some explosive action as the Nuggets hope to secure a 3-1 series lead over the Suns.