BREAKING: Nuggets coach slams NBA referees for lack of Nikola Jokic calls
After watching his Nuggets come up short in Game 6, David Adelman let it be known that he doesn’t believe Nikola Jokic gets a fair whistle.
Following the Denver Nuggets’ 111-105 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6, interim head coach David Adelman didn’t mince words about some of the treatment Nikola Jokic has been getting from referees.
“Nikola gets fouled a lot. I’m not sure what was happening tonight, but for him to shoot two free throws with the amount of contact that was going on out there was absolutely crazy,” said Adelman.
Jokic was getting hacked at throughout the majority of the game, but he would only go to the free-throw line twice.
“They put smalls on him. Those smalls were allowed to do whatever they want,” said Adelman. “So I’m really excited for Saturday that we’re going to be able to do the same thing with their best players, because if that’s the physicality we’re allowed to play with, we’ll react to it, and we will go there in Game 7.”
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Nuggets endure frustrating Nikola Jokic free-throw disparity
The physicality that other teams use to defend the three-time MVP is even noticed by his teammates. On TV broadcasts, Jokic’s arms are often seen bright red, scratched, and bloodied.
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“We’ve seen it on his arms all year. He plays inside, and he plays a really physical game,” said Nuggets forward Peyton Watson. “So what comes with that is a lot of bumps and bruises. We know that he’s in there getting hit. Obviously, it’s hard to see when there’s five bodies surrounding him at all times, but we lean on the refs to make those calls in the right time, in the right place when we need them.”
Even with Jokic getting swarmed defensively by opponents, the Nuggets know that if they want to win Game 7, they have to match that level of physicality.
“We know that the game is going to be physical and Nikola knows that,” Watson continued. “You didn’t see him go off, take his mouthpiece off, or get a tech the entire game. He expects it. We expect it. So we got to be the ones to dish the physicality next game.”
The free-throw disparity is even more apparent when comparing Jokic’s attempts to other NBA stars. During the regular season, Jokic averaged 6.4 free throws per game this season. The two other MVP finalists, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (8.8) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (10.6), would consistently get more whistles.
The decisive Game 7 between the Nuggets and Clippers comes on Saturday night. Will the Nuggets be able to up their physicality offensively and defensively to keep their season alive?