It was a thrilling night of playoff basketball in Phoenix. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic was in his element, scoring just about everything he put up. He finished the game with 53 points, but despite his explosion, it was a night to forget for the Joker. Not only did the Denver Nuggets lose the game but Jokic was also assessed with a technical foul for ‘shoving’ Matt Ishbia, an incident he would address in the post-game press conference.

Jokic wasn’t happy, to say the least. He ripped the league for not protecting the players. Even the NBA fans weighed in on the debate reacting to Jokic’s point of view.

Nikola Jokic speaks on pushing Suns owner

After a wasted 53-point double-double, Nikola Jokic sat with the media to answer some questions. As expected, the most anticipated ask was what happened between him and Ishbia. Referring to the Phoenix Suns owner as a ‘fan’, Joker believes Ishbia ‘influenced’ the game by holding onto the ball. As for the supposed elbow, Jokic feels the NBA should protect him rather than Ishbia, who put his hands on first as per the Nuggets star.

“He told me I was elbowing the fan, but the fan put his hands on me first. I thought the league is supposed to protect us. But maybe I’m wrong.” said Jokic.

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When asked about the worries of a fine or possibly a suspension the Nuggets starlet reacted, “They are not going to protect me? They are going to protect the fan? Not me as a person but I am talking about me as a player. I mean they can do whatever of course. They don’t care.”

The Nuggets-Suns series has been intense and highly competitive. Each side is locked in and is solely concerned with one objective – winning the Western Conference Semifinals. In the heat of it, Jokic tried to rip the ball from Ishbia’s hands. After a brief conversation, the Suns owner fell to his seat after an alleged elbow from Jokic.

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As a fan courtside, Ishbia probably shouldn’t have involved himself in the game. At the time, Denver had a fruitful chance to score with a man advantage on the floor. Ishbia having the ball gave Phoenix those extra few seconds to recover that they needed to set their defense. As a player, Jokic is allowed to be frustrated with the conduct, but do you think what he did was excessive? Let us know your opinion on the matter.

NBA Fans react to Jokic-Ishbia scuffle

The basketball world saw the entire incident go down but not all saw it the same. NBA Twitter was divided while choosing the correct party between Jokic and Matt Ishbia. Many sides Nikola Jokic and felt the Phoenix Suns owner should have given the ball up sooner, even accusing him of flopping.

But there was also a swarm of support for Matt Ishbia.

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Whose side are you on, Ishbia or Nikola Jokic? Let us know in the comments below.