The mountain lion hilariously interacts with fans and his backward half-court shot is legendary. There may not be a mascot more beloved than Rocky, who came out on top in a survey of 1,500 basketball fans. Then we made a bet - more on that below.ĭoug Pensinger / Getty Images Mascot Mania The two cities are also home to sister alt-weeklies - Denver Westword and Phoenix New Times - that were founded in the 1970s, even if the Phoenix outlet started first. Beyond the trash-talking between our two newsrooms, we asked Westword's Catie Cheshire and New Times' Elias Weiss to break down the series for us. Phoenix owns the all-time series 3-1, most recently sweeping Denver in the conference semis in 2021 while marching to the Finals - and then losing in six.īut the rivalry between these two proud Western cities exists beyond their NBA teams. The Suns and Nuggets have plenty of history in the postseason, having met four times dating back to the 1981 season. The Suns did just that after they crashed and burned in 1993. On the flip side, at least the Nuggets haven’t hosted a parade as a consolation prize just for making it to the Finals. Even the Rockies went to the World Series once. Meanwhile, Gerald Ford was president when the Nuggets played their first game in the NBA, and yet they’ve never even appeared in the Finals. Sure, the Suns haven’t clinched a chip just yet, but they’ve won the Western Conference on three occasions. A precious nugget tumbling along a crisp Colorado creek - and hotter than the sizzling Arizona sun. The second round series, which opens on Saturday in Denver, promises to be pure gold. The stage is set for a clash of the titans en route to a spot in the Western Conference Finals for two teams in desperate need of a ring. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. Information from ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk and The Associated Press was used in this report. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokic was "going to get the ball and some fan is holding on to the ball like he wants to be part of the game." "I thought the league was supposed to protect us. "The fan put the hand on me first," Jokic explained. Jokic defended his actions after a game in which he had 53 points and 11 assists. The ball flew backward into the crowd, and then Ishbia was knocked backward by Jokic's elbow. Jokic was trying to get the ball quickly - apparently so the Nuggets could start getting into their offensive possession - when he attempted to grab the ball from Ishbia. He landed in a group of fans on the baseline that included Ishbia, who held the basketball. The fracas began when Suns guard Josh Okogie crashed into the seats while trying to save a loose ball. The Suns won 129-124 on Sunday to even the series at 2-2. The league still has not announced any potential punishment for Jokic, leaving the two-time MVP's status up in the air for the remainder of the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. I have alot of respect for Jokic and don't want to see anything like that. "Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. "Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! That should be and is the only story," Ishbia tweeted. But Ishbia took to Twitter on Monday morning to address the situation. The NBA did not immediately respond Sunday night to ESPN when asked if Jokic would face a suspension and/or a fine. Jokic was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Game 4 when he tried to snatch the ball from Ishbia, who was sitting courtside, and hit the Suns' owner with an elbow. Suns owner Mat Ishbia said he does not want Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to be suspended or fined over their altercation Sunday night in Game 4 of Phoenix's playoff series with Denver. Suns' Mat Ishbia says Nikola Jokic suspension 'would not be right' You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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