Things got very, very intense during Game 4 between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.
When the first half of the Western Conference Semifinals contest was nearing an end, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic appeared to shove Suns owner Mat Ishbia in an attempt to get the basketball.
However, the debate has been on about whether or not Ishbia flopped for dramatic effect, but Jokic was slammed with a technical foul regardless.
You be the judge … Did Jokic shove Ishbia? Did Ishbia flop? Was it a little bit of both?
Jokic and the Suns owner. 😳
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 8, 2023
Play it back one more time:
Jokic just shoved Mat Ishbia pic.twitter.com/adW03mmExW
— Cage (@ridiculouscage) May 8, 2023
The way I’m seeing it, Nikola Jokic was in a rush to make a play and was going for the basketball, and it just so happened that Mat Ishbia had it, but for some reason, it appeared that Ishbia was clinging on to the ball for dear life. That resulted in Jokic getting aggressive and frustrated.
On top of that, it looked like Ishbia was chirping at Jokic a little bit as well, so did Jokic intentionally shove over Ishbia?
Yeah, he probably did. It looks that way considering what happened beforehand.
Now we get to the big debate: Did Ishbia flop? (RELATED: LeBron James Randomly And Strangely Falls Over In The Middle Of NBA Playoffs Game Against Golden State Warriors)
If I was a betting man, I’d say that there’s definitely some flopping in there, it was quite dramatic. However, it also needs to be considered that Jokic is a pretty big dude — 6’11” and 284 pounds to be exact — so I think there was some force from Jokic to send Ishbia flying a little bit (whether directly or indirectly). Jokic is a strong guy, man.
No matter how you view it though, it just adds to the entertainment value of what has been an absolutely fun NBA Playoffs to watch, and it’s been spectacular for myself as a Miami Heat fan.
Let the fun continue! AND LET’S GO HEAT!