Nikola Jokic’s MVP season is over after getting ejected for striking Cameron Payne in Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets’ Western Conference semifinals series against the Phoenix Suns. With the Suns holding a seven-point lead late the third quarter, Jokic swiped at the ball and hit Payne in the face. After a review, the refs determined it was a flagrant-2 foul, which earned Jokic an ejection.
Nikola Jokic ejected on controversial flagrant-2 call in Nuggets-Suns elimination game
The MVP was tossed from Game 4 on a controversial flagrant-2 call with the Nuggets’ season on the line.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The Suns won, 125-118, to advance to the conference finals and end Denver’s season. Phoenix entered the night with a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. This is how Jokic’s incredible season ends. Here’s video of the incident.
Jokic was given a flagrant-2 foul, which includes an ejection, because there was a windup, excessive contact to the head, and a follow through. Jokic’s foul came out of frustration because he thought he was fouled on the previous possession and didn’t get the call.
Jokic had 22 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists on 9-of-17 shooting at the time of the ejection.
NBA fans were split on whether Jokic deserved the flagrant-2 and subsequent ejection.
Whether or not you thought Jokic deserved a flagrant-2, it’s certainly a terrible way for an MVP season to end. The Nuggets just couldn’t catch a break at the end of this season, from Jamal Murray’s ACL tear to injuries to Will Barton and P.J. Dozier. Now Jokic didn’t even get a chance to save his team’s season in their final game.
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