Nuggets center Nikola Jokić's game-high 18 free-throw attempts, followed by coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors' complaints about the officiating that allowed them, stole the show after Denver's 120-114 win over Golden State on Monday at Ball Arena.
Jokić's teammate, Jamal Murray, believes the two-time NBA MVP's frequent visits to the foul line are warranted, though.
"[Jokić] does a great job, man. You see his arms everywhere? Those are fouls," Murray told reporters after Monday's game. "I think he gets beat up down there, kind of similar to like how Dwight Howard used to. Such a big body, it's hard to call every foul, I understand, but when he's going into his shooting motion at least, they can only do so much and [Jokić] can only do so much.
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"[Jokić] can only do so much, so I think we got to just keep feeding him and [Jokić has] to continue to be aggressive. That's another thing, not looking for the foul, but just playing the game and getting to his spots. Stuff like that."
Jokić's jarring number of free throws Monday didn't go unnoticed by Kerr, who offered stark criticism of how the NBA game now is officiated.
"I have no problem with the officials themselves. All across the league we have really good officials," Kerr told reporters. "I have a problem with the way we are legislating defense out of the game. That's what we're doing in the NBA. The way we're teaching officials, we're just enabling players to BS their way to the foul line.
Golden State Warriors
"If I were a fan, I wouldn't have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls. But the refs have to make those calls because that's how they're taught.
"The players are really smart in this league. For over the last decade or so, they've gotten smarter and smarter. And we have enabled the players, and they are taking full advantage. It's a parade to the free-throw line, and it was disgusting to watch."
Jokić made just 4 of 12 shots from the field, but his ability to convert all 18 of his free-throw attempts gave him with 26 points, the second-highest total in the game behind Murray's 28.
In contrast, the Warriors attempted 23 free throws as a team, with superstar point guard Steph Curry taking only one the entire game.
After seeing their five-game winning streak end, the 15-15 Warriors shift their focus toward a seven-game homestand that tips off with a Thursday night meeting with the Miami Heat.