“Nikola Jokic Pushes Suns Owner in NBA Playoff Game, Receives Technical Foul”

With 2 minutes and 36 seconds left in the first half of the Phoenix Suns-Denver Nuggets NBA Western Conference semifinals, the visitors were leading 55-54 when Josh Okogie, the home team’s player tried to save a ball, but failed. The ball is sitting in the rows of the auditorium Matthew Ishbetfell into the hands of the Suns owner. Nikola Jokics, Denver’s Serbian center, roughly the best basketball player in the world at the moment, tried to recover it so that the game could continue. The ball flew out of Ishbia’s hand on the line, and then the club owner – who made his billions by lending money to those who need bail in court cases, so he is practically a bail agent – began to reason with Jokic. With a light movement of his left forearm, the Zomborian giant pushed the usurer aside, who threw himself backwards as if he had received a mortal wound.

The amazing consequence of the big death in the theater: the referee hit Jokic (!) with his technical skills!

We don’t want to say that’s why the Nuggets got outscored and the overall score was 2-2, but this episode played a role. Jokics formed an opinion after the match:

The viewer caught me first, I only reacted afterwards. I used to think that the NBA was there to protect us players. Maybe I got it wrong.

In this video, it is absolutely clear that Ishbia is the one:

Nuggets coach Michael Malone was also upset:

The ball goes out into the audience and one of the spectators does not want to return it. As if only he wanted to be a participant in the match. Give me the ball back, man! That he owns the Suns? It will be a mess!

That’s all…

Otherwise, the Suns won the game 129-124 despite Jokic’s superhuman performance. The Serbian genius scored 53 points, a career high and a club record in the playoffs, with a great field goal percentage of 20/30, plus 11 assists.

For the opponent, the usual duo scattered the points, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant also reached 36 points.

The score is even in the East, with the Philadelphia 76ers’ overtime victory (116-115) against the Boston Celtics turning the score into 2-2. The hero of the game was James Harden with 42 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals. Harden, it seems, took the advice of Embiid, who two days earlier asked him to be more aggressive. Harden’s great efficiency should be highlighted, he was 16/23 from the field, 6/9 from triples, 4/4 from penalties.

NBA West Main Group, Semifinals:

Phoenix Suns – Denver Nuggets 129-124. See: Durant and Booker 36–36, Shamet 19, respectively. Jokics 53, Murray 28, Gordon and Porter 11-11, Caldwell-Pope 10. The score is 2-2.

NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals:

Philadelphia 76ers – Boston Celtics 116-115 (overtime). See: Harden 42, Embiid 34, Maxey 14, respectively. Tatum 24, J.Brown 23, Smart 21, Brogdon 19, White 12.

(Cover image: AAron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post / Getty Images Hungary)