The 2023 NBA players are seeing the rise of a new side beef in the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns: Nikola Jokic vs. Mat Ishbia. As the Suns beat the Nuggets in Game 4 despite a masterclass from Jokic, the two-time MVP and the new Phoenix owner were involved in a strange yet hilarious fiasco during the second quarter. Patrick Beverley was one of the many voices to react to it.
As Jokic hastily looked to get the ball that had gone into the stands, Ishbia held it but refused to let the Nuggets superstar take it. The ball went flying behind them as Jokic extended his elbow into Ishbia, who masterfully flopped back into his chair, leading to a technical foul on Jokic.
Beverly chimed in to say that the fan touching a player isn't getting the proper attention. “Fan hit Player, And ain’t nobody saying anything,” Beverley said.
The fan that did touch Jokic's arm got tossed from the game. Jokic questioned the NBA's commitment to protecting its players. Incidents with fans are not foreign to the league, though never before has a player and a team owner been so directly involved in a physical confrontation like that — especially not when the owner is selling contact like he's trying to get the referees' attention.
Some observers speculated as to whether Jokic would get suspended for Game 5 in Denver. It doesn't seem likely but it would be a massive blow to the Nuggets. After a spectacular performance, it's clear that Jokic can dominate whenever he has to. The only question is whether his teammates can step up to help overcome the scoring wizardry of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
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