Should Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic be suspended for shove of Phoenix Suns' Mat Ishbia?
The Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their NBA Playoffs series on Sunday night, 129-124.
But the game was overshadowed by an incident courtside in the second quarter between Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
Jokic received a technical foul for the incident, and social media had thoughts on the incident, including whether or not Jokic should, or could be suspended by the NBA for his part in the incident.
People had some very different takes on the incident on Twitter, with some slamming Ishbia for his role, while justifying Jokic's actions and others calling for Jokic to be suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs series on Tuesday.
Ishbia even weighed in on the incident, tweeting "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!"
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!— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) May 8, 2023
More: NBA Twitter reacts to Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic vs. Phoenix Suns' Mat Ishbia incident
More: 'He's a fan, isn't he?': Nikola Jokic talks about exchange with Suns' owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4
VOTE: Should the #Nuggets' Nikola Jokic be suspended for shoving #Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4 of their #NBAPlayoffs series? #WeAreTheValley #MileHighBasketball (#NBATwitter weighs in: https://t.co/NU3aAWuWPb)
— azcentral sports (@azcsports) May 8, 2023
NBA Twitter addressed whether or not Nikola Jokic should be suspended in Game 5 against the Suns:
A suspension for Jokic has to be on the table now after the ref's verdict was a deliberate shove.
Would be such a bummer for how awesome this series has been to see something like that cost a game for a star. https://t.co/TKryhSfgWZ— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) May 8, 2023
If Jokic gets a suspension because an Owner wanted to hold on to the Basketball, the @NBA is beyond cooked.
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) May 8, 2023
Ishbia literally tucked the ball under his arm. You just can't do that as a spectator. Clearly Jokic deliberately shoved Ishbia and didn't control his emotions but I think its more of a stern talking to than a suspension. https://t.co/nprOSGvSEK
— Jody Oehler (@radiojody) May 8, 2023
All the Suns fans posting the videos from the back of the action don't want people to see the front angle of Ishbia holding the ball and his friend in the blue shirt touching Jokic. It's a wash, the NBA won't win a suspension appeal with an owner involved. https://t.co/YjwWPSiYOq
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 8, 2023
The NBA rulebook states that intentional contact of a player with a fan warrants a minimum 1-game suspension.
Nuggets fans can whine but Jokic lost his cool again and has only himself to blame.— TYS (@ItWasAKindness) May 8, 2023
Nikola Jokic got a tech for making contact w/ Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who then flopped. Will he get suspended, too?
"I would be stunned if this involved a suspension..I don't think there's an appetite here for that to happen,"@WindhorstESPN said on ESPN. https://t.co/gjnwujTr5x— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 8, 2023
NBA shouldn’t even need to investigate the Jokic incident, clearly not worthy of a suspension.
Stop looking for reasons to take players out of playoff series.— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 8, 2023
Jokic, aka the Soft Guy from Sombor, needs to be suspended for Game 5. He started a physical altercation in the stands. Doesn’t matter if it’s the owner or not. #BadAssIsh
— Espo (@Espo) May 8, 2023
Joker should not receive any suspension the fan “suns owner” put his hands on jokic first pic.twitter.com/VS4A69FLqS
— . (@ManuDaGoat) May 8, 2023
I HATE that we have to wait and see on what the league is going to do with the Jokic situation and I HATE even more that a suspension is possibly on the table
— Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) May 8, 2023
"The Suns owner was wrong for trying to hold on to the ball and he flopped!"@HardawaySr hopes that Jokic won't face suspension for altercation with Mat Ishbia pic.twitter.com/Whbaixqr1u
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) May 8, 2023
Max and Jay react to the suggestion that Jokic could be facing suspension for the Ishbia incident in Game 4.
For the record - they don't believe it should have been a technical foul in the first place. pic.twitter.com/hThs6qphYv— n i k o l a e s t h e t i c (@nikolaesthetic) May 8, 2023
Jokic is entering the stands to literally grab the ball and continue play
By rule, he literally did nothing to warrant a suspension https://t.co/HmJsKb3HtA— NGN (6-2) (@NuggetsGotNext) May 8, 2023
TNT broadcasters just asked: Will Nikola Jokic be suspended for Game 5?
Team execs are wondering this too since the rule book says a player should be ejected for entering the stands. Jokic technically just went courtside so there’s room for interpretation. We’ll find out Monday. pic.twitter.com/8jBYdKgSOy— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 8, 2023
Suspension for Jokic? Get outta here with that garbage idea. Shouldn’t even be under consideration.
— Dirk Chatelain (@dirkchatelain) May 8, 2023
Tony Brothers deems that Nikola Jokic shoved Mat Ishbia which is why the Nuggets got a technical. A suspension seems possible... pic.twitter.com/l4KSgheDnF
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) May 8, 2023
They better not give Jokic a suspension. That flopping owner deserved it.
If Jokic is suspended I can no longer watch Adam Silver's NBA.— kev (@JustKevooo) May 8, 2023
Gotta disagree. Jokic shouldn’t have tried to grab the ball from a fan forcefully, owner or not. Or shoved him after. Automatic suspension. Should’ve been ejected.
— Joshua Fontanilla (@joshfontanilla) May 8, 2023
What do you think: Does Nikola Jokic deserve a suspension for the incident with Mat Ishbia in Game 4?
VOTE: Should the #Nuggets' Nikola Jokic be suspended for shoving #Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4 of their #NBAPlayoffs series? #WeAreTheValley #MileHighBasketball (#NBATwitter weighs in: https://t.co/NU3aAWuWPb)
— azcentral sports (@azcsports) May 8, 2023
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Does Nuggets' Nikola Jokic get suspended for shoving Suns' Mat Ishbia?
