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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Curtis

Nikola Jokic, Mike Malone call out Suns owner Mat Ishbia as a ‘fan’ after courtside incident

The courtside incident during Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns’ playoff series shockingly involved new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Nikola Jokic.

But don’t go telling the Nuggets that the scrum that including Ishbia — a former Michigan State hoops star — flopping involved an owner. Because, at the heart of it, they want to push it toward the fact that Ishbia, sitting in the seats, was a “fan” at that moment who was holding on to a basketball that Jokic thought could be used to play on right away.

Let’s start with what Jokic said postgame to reporters after the Nuggets’ win:

“The fan put hands on me first,” he said.

And when a reporter noted Ishbia is an NBA owner? He replied, “Sitting on the court, then he’s a fan, isn’t he?”

So there’s that. The same went for head coach Mike Malone (WARNING: NSFW language below):

“He’s going to get the ball and some fan is holding onto the ball like he wants to be a part of the game,” Malone said.

That sounds like the argument here from Denver’s side. Let’s see if the NBA will listen.

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