Suns Owner Mat Ishbia Breaks Silence on Nikola Jokic Scuffle

Phoenix Suns Owner Mat Ishbia does not want Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic suspended

Joey Linn | May 8, 2023

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Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic made contact with Phoenix Suns Owner Mat Ishbia during Sunday night's Game 4 contest, which has led some to believe the NBA could take action beyond the technical foul that Jokic was issued. While the league has not issued any statement beyond the Pool Report interview, Ishbia has broken his silence on the incident, saying nobody should be fined or suspended.

In a Tweet on Monday morning, Ishbia wrote, "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

It was encouraging to see Ishbia not push for any further disciplinary action, as Jokic has already explained what happened during the bizarre sequence. Speaking to reporters following the game, Jokic said, "He is a fan, isn't he? Sitting on the court, he's a fan, isn't he? That doesn't mean - whoever it is, he's a fan, he cannot influence the game by holding on the ball."

Other Nuggets players shared similar reactions, along with head coach Michael Malone, who said Ishbia should have just given the ball up. It was a bizarre situation, and one that Ishbia does not believe should result in further punishment for Jokic.

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Published May 8, 2023

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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