NBA Player Gets a Technical After Scuffle With an Owner

It's not unusual for an NBA player to get a technical foul after a scuffle with somebody from the other team. The weird part in this case: the "somebody" was the other team's owner. During Sunday night's playoff game between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns, Denver's Nikola Jokic received the technical after a scuffle in the stands with Suns' owner Matt Ishbia, reports USA Today. You can watch it unfold here. The incident began when a loose ball went into the stands where Ishbia was sitting, and he grabbed the ball, per the AP. Jokic tried to get it back because it was Denver's possession, but Ishbia seemed reluctant to give it up—perhaps because he was savvy enough to want to give his team time to set up. In the interaction, the ball came free, and Ishbia fell backward into his seat after what looked like contact with Jokic's elbow. Some quotes afterward:

• Jokic: “The fan put the hand on me first. I thought the league was supposed to protect us. Maybe I am wrong. I know who he is, but he is a fan. Isn’t he?"
• Ishbia: He told the AP at halftime he was "fine" and more worried about the game, which the Suns ended up winning, 129-124.
• Pleased: "He got us a point!" said Suns star Devin Booker, a reference to the ensuing free throw after the technical foul.
• Blame game: The Athletic has a breakdown of the incident, with analysis. In one view, both men were at fault: Jokic can't get that agitated with fans, but Ishbia could have been ejected because he interfered with play.

(More NBA stories.)