Nikola Jokic made 18 free throws against the Golden State Warriors – a new record for the Serbian. After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed his displeasure with the referees’ performance.
“I have a problem with how we completely remove defense from the game,” Kerr was upset after the Warriors’ 114:120 loss in Denver. “We encourage players to sneak their way to the free throw line. Personally, I wouldn’t want to watch that second half. It was disgusting.”
Over the course of the game, the Nuggets took 32 free throws and Golden State went to the line 23 times. However, the hosts attempted a whopping 26 free throws after the break, 14 of which went to Nikola Jokic, who is not usually known for hitting free throws. Before the game, the Serb was averaging 5.9 free throws per game and has averaged 4.5 over his career.
Kerr was probably not referring his criticism directly to Jokic, but rather to a league-wide trend of star players receiving whistles too easily. Statistically speaking, the average 22.9 free throws per game are among the lowest in NBA history, but teams also take many more three-pointers and are less likely to look for the zone where fouls are more likely to occur.
NBA – Steve Kerr shows understanding for referees
For Kerr, it’s more about the players no longer wanting to score, but just wanting to march to the free throw line: “It was just about the referees calling a foul and then the referees have to make these calls because “That’s how they were taught,” Kerr continued.
By the way, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray saw it a little differently. “I think there’s a difference between trying to sell a touch and just flopping,” the playmaker said of the Warriors coach’s allegations.
NBA – Nuggets vs. Warriors: Die Stats-Leader
2023-12-25 23:43:00
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