Here are the facts as we know them about the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns incident involving Nikola Jokic and Suns owner Mat Ishbia: The latter held on to the basketball that Jokic thought he could grab and use immediately with Josh Okogie stuck on the floor for a 5-on-4.
Ishbia didn’t give up the ball and appeared to flop as Jokic caught him with a little nudge of his forearm. But the point here is that Jokic made contact with someone — an NBA owner, although the Nuggets keep referring to Ishbia as a fan, which is the case they appear to be making here — sitting by the court.
Could Jokic be suspended here? There’s an NBA rule about ejections that’s noteworthy. Rule 12, Section V (all about “conduct), which says if anyone “deliberately [enters] the stands other than as a continuance of play,” they “must” be ejected. Note that Jokic got a technical foul and not an ejection but that may not matter here:
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
So: Did Jokic technically go into the stands here? Some think so, others don’t:
Jokic should obviously be suspended for Game 5. He went into the stands and made contact with a fan (owner). Easy decision.
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 8, 2023
Perhaps watch again all you Jokic defenders. The ball was dead and in the stands. At that point the REF inbounds the ball. He has no business being in the stands and it’s VERY CLEAR he’s off the court. He should be suspended https://t.co/r06U0UhBmg
— mrskmart2015 (@mrskmart2015) May 8, 2023
You make the call:
Suns Owner Mat Ishbia with the flop 😂😂😂
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 8, 2023
