Jokic, Suns owner share witty pregame moment in Game 5

They don't call him the Joker for nothing.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic grabbed headlines during Sunday's Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns that didn't involve his 53-point showing.

Instead, the attention turned to one moment late in the second quarter when the two-time league MVP appeared to elbow Suns owner Mat Ishbia in an attempt to retain the ball from the sidelines to resume play.

Jokic received a technical foul for the incident but was not suspended for Game 5, with Ishbia agreeing on the decision via Twitter. He was fined $25K, however.

The 28-year-old Jokic then made amends as a Joker would do: By giving Ishbia the ball courtside after his pregame warmup ahead of Game 5 in Denver.

The two then exchanged a handshake and side hug before Jokic returned to the locker room.

During Jokic's postgame presser after Game 4, he explained how Ishbia -- or any fan for that matter -- "cannot influence the game by holding on the ball" in response to how the initial situation unfolded.

Golden State Warriors

Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

Warriors' GP2 suffered partial tear of left thumb ligament

Warriors race to avoid NBA play-in tournament over final 10 games

With the dust all settled and the series tied 2-2, whoever wins Game 5 will have the ball in their hands to be one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Contact Us