Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was fined $25,000 for being a little too enthusiastic while chasing a loose ball that went into the crowd during Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns.
Jokic can consider himself lucky, though, as he escaped a harsher punishment and won’t be suspended.
A Just Punishment for a Minor Incident
The two-time MVP winner was charged with making improper contact with a spectator, the spectator being Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
The incident happened near the end of the second quarter when Jokic chased a ball that flew into the stands.
Ishbia grabbed the ball and as Jokic tried to take it away from him, the tall Serb made slight contact with the Suns owner.
In fairness, the contact was minimal and Ishbia may have tried to make too much of it.
However, Jokic was in the wrong for acting the way he did and the decision announced by Executive Vice President Joe Dumars seems to be a just punishment for the player.
The incident didn’t have much of a negative effect on Jokic during the game, as the center was phenomenal for the Nuggets.
He scored 53 points and added 11 assists, but Denver still lost the game 129-124.
With the series tied at 2-2, the fact that Jokic will be available for the next game (and the ones after that) is huge for the Nuggets and their supporters and will make the Western Conference semifinal twice as fun for the neutral NBA fan too.
