Patrick Beverley defends Nikola Jokic in the incident involving Phoenix Suns owner

Chicago Bulls guard Patrick Beverley is as feisty as they come, always eager to be in the thick of things. He didn't hesitate to get himself into the mix—albeit just on social media this time—as he chimed in on the controversial incident involving former MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Protect the players

The incident occurred late in the second quarter when the ball flew into the crowd. Jokic quickly went to the sidelines to recover the ball from Ishbia, who did not want to give it up. That's when the burly big man made contact with Ishbia, who ended up back in his seat after a slight shove from Jokic. The league reviewed the incident and slapped Jokic with a $25,000 fine for what it deemed to be "improper contact with a spectator sitting courtside."

Beverley, though, had a different take on the matter, as he tweeted:

Fan hit Player, And ain’t nobody saying anything. 🤦🏾‍♂️ #ProtectPlayers https://t.co/ND0B1oSIlH
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) May 8, 2023

Jokic aware of who Ishbia is

Jokic explained that despite Ishbia's lofty position with the Suns, he still is a fan, who's supposed to be governed by the league's rules.

"The fan put the hand on me first," Jokic said. "I thought the league is supposed to protect us or whatever, but maybe I'm wrong."

"I know who he is, but he's a fan, isn't he? If he's sitting on the court then he's a fan, isn't he? That doesn't mean, that, whoever he is, he's a fan, he cannot influence the game by holding the ball," Jokic added.

Nikola Jokic on the incident with Suns owner Mat Ishbia: “He (ref) told me I was elbowing the fan, but the fan put the hand on me first. I thought the league is supposed to protect us or whatever, but maybe I’m wrong. We will see.” pic.twitter.com/Drp6N5SZ2M
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 8, 2023