SALT LAKE CITY — Nuggets star didn’t have any immediate concern about a potential suspension after he took several steps off the bench during a first-quarter skirmish against the Jazz on Wednesday night.
“No, I was not on the court,” said Jokic of the tense altercation that started after Jazz forward Derrick Favors grabbed ’s arm and led to both of their ejections. NBA rules stipulate players can’t leave the bench during an altercation.
“I cannot step?” said Jokic after the Nuggets fell 114-108 despite Jokic’s 28-point, 21-rebound performance. “I was not even close. If they’re going to fine me, they’re going to fine me, but I think I didn’t do nothing.”
Jokic was the closest to the altercation, but and each took steps as well.
“There’s always concern (of suspension),” said. “Thatap three of our best players. You never want your best players to be suspended, you don’t want anybody to get suspended.”
Barton, who was already in the game, said he jumped into the fray to defend Plumlee.
“Only thing I remember is Mason getting into it with Favors, and I just remember it being like a lot of mess and chaos and I just wanted to protect my teammate,” Barton said. He and Jazz wing Royce O’Neale drew technical fouls for their role in the shoving match.
Like Jokic, Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn’t believe his guys had done anything wrong.
“I know I think our assistant coaches wanted to make sure that nobody was on the court,” Malone said. “I have no doubts that our guys stayed where they were supposed to stay. Itap unfortunate that incident escalated the way that it did. Prior to that happening, from my vantage point, very clearly, you could see Derrick Favors pulling Mason’s arm and then after that it kind of just erupted.”
It got testy once again later in the second quarter when Jokic got in Jazz forward Jae Crowder’s face after an offensive possession.
“I love it,” Barton said. “Did you see me go crazy when he got into it with Crowder?”
Barton, who finished with 22 points off the bench in what amounted to his best game since he returned from injury, relished the physicality and emotion of Wednesday’s game.
“I thrive off physical play,” he said. “Thatap where I come from in Baltimore playing outside. I’m used to that kind of basketball. Once it gets like that, you’re gonna get the best out of me.”
Malone had no problem with the tension that brewed between the two teams and said all the drama stemmed from two divisional opponents fighting for the same thing.
“We want to be a team that has toughness,” he said. “There’s a fine line between toughness and being dirty. They’re not a dirty team, neither are we. They play extremely hard, we try to play extremely hard. … When Nikola plays with emotion, I think itap great. People know he’s our best player. They’re gonna go after him.”
Jokic drew the ire of the vocal Jazz fans following the incident with Crowder, and they booed him relentlessly for the rest of the game.
“I didn’t hear them,” Jokic said.
The Nuggets begin a back-to-back set with Friday’s game against Phoenix, but it remains to be seen whether their best player will be available.
The Denver Post needs your support.
.
