The Los Angeles Lakers were left deflated again by the Denver Nuggets after getting punched in the mouth by Nikola Jokic and the reigning NBA champions in Game 2 Monday night.
Also getting socked in the face during the game, this time without being metaphorical, was a fan in the stands, who caught the fist of Jokic's older brother, Strahinja. A video of the altercation has already gone viral.
It is unclear what exactly triggered Strahinja to snap at the fan, but it seemed serious enough for Jokic's brother to come down a couple of rows to get to his target. Fortunately for the fan, he only took one shot to the face.
He also seems to have quite a jaw as he did not appear to be seriously hurt by the punch and can even be seen in the video still exchanging words with Strahinja after the physical confrontation.
This is not a good look for Strahinja, but again, it's better to hear an explanation from each side before making a final judgment.
The NBA is already looking into the matter, according to TMZ Sports.
What social media is saying about the shocking altercation
“I don’t see Doncic brother doing such things.. Clear MVP in my unbiased opnion opinion,” joked X (formerly Twitter) user @fball_newzz.
“Haha dude took the punch and walked away,” said @fadde, who was left impressed by the fan's tolerance.
It's the same sentiment from @urqmyheart: “No way, the guy didn’t even fall? The Jokic brothers hype was totally unjustified 😭.”
Emotions ran high during the Lakers-Nuggets game, especially with how it concluded but could that be a reason behind the shocking scuffle in the stands involving a fan and a Jokic?
“Didn’t get punched for no reason, need to hear the back story first,” stated @_Bato_.
“People with money do not go to jail. He will be sued, and his brother will pay the fine. He will be back in the stands for the next game,” opined @Gregory74755904.
“Even the fans can't do anything about them,” said @JabrkitJubawdit.
To be fair, getting between that fan and Strahinja, who is not a small human being (listed at 6-foot-7), was never going to be an easy decision to make for the people near the incident.
“Honestly, the Lakers should sign the Jokic brothers this summer,” @CJToledano shared.
From @TheSportsHernia: “How was that dude still standing? Regardless, this is exactly the way the Jokic brothers postseason debut was expected to go down.”
“Gaht damn dude took that punch on the chin like a CHAMP from Jokic brother. Wonder if the league will investigate and if the guy will sue em. Jokic brother gotta be banned straight up,” Chris Williamson wondered.
Nuggets taking the air out of the Lakers fight
As for what happened on the court in Game 2, the Nuggets pulled off a stunning 101-99 victory despite being down by as many as 20 points. Jamal Murray added to his legend in Mile High City by sinking a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to send Nuggets fans everywhere into a state of pandemonium.
Murray finished with 20 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two blocks in 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Jokic paced the Nuggets with a monster triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists, while shooting 9-for-16 from the floor and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Game 3 of the series will be on Thursday in LA at 10 p.m. Eastern Time.
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