There was some talk of Nikola Jokic potentially being suspended for Game 5 for elbowing Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.
Jokic ended up only being fined $25k for the incident and the two men also dapped each other up before Game 5, to indicate everything was fine. When asked about his interaction with Ishbia after the game, Jokic had a hilarious response.
“I don’t have nothing against him,” Jokic said. “I would do the same thing if it’s anybody else in the Phoenix… I just wanted to make fun at least a little bit and I was hoping he was gonna pay my fine, but no.”
https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1656163909588619264
It’s clear these two have put it behind them, and that is good to see. The incident somewhat overshadowed what was a great Game 4, with Jokic putting on a show as he tried to overcome Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the other side. He was ultimately unsuccessful, as Phoenix won 129-124.
Jokic was all smiles after this game, though, and he had every reason to be, as the Denver Nuggets crushed the Suns 118-102 to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Nuggets have been dominant at home so far, but they’d be keen to wrap things up in Game 6 in Phoenix and avoid a Game 7.
The Suns Have Had No Answer For Nikola Jokic
Jokic continued his dominance in Game 5, as he finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. It wasn’t quite his 53-point outing in Game 4, but the rest of the team stepped up, so Jokic didn’t have to be that aggressive. For the series, he is now putting up 35.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 10.0 APG, and 1.0 BPG while shooting 57.5% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc.
Those are some ridiculous numbers, and Jokic has now once again put his team in the driver’s seat. His teammates struggling in Games 3 and 4 in Phoenix was a big reason why Denver lost those games, and they’ll be keen to show they can perform on the road in Game 6. If they do, then the Nuggets will, in all likelihood, advance to the Conference Finals on Thursday.
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