Getty Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors were playing the best basketball of their season, winners of five in a row as they headed to the Rocky Mountains on Christmas Day to take on the Denver Nuggets.
The Dubs lost a hard-fought contest by six points, 120-114. But when all was said and done, it wasn’t two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets who Golden State felt cost them a sixth consecutive win.
It was the referees — specifically their late-game whistles that put Jokic at the line 18 times total and changed the flow of the contest, as well as its outcome, according to head coach Steve Kerr and star point guard Steph Curry.
“It does cater to the guys that can sell calls, and when there’s physicality it’s tough because it’s inconsistent at times on either side. Like, what’s the tone of the game? And from game to game it changes, that’s the nature of basketball,” Curry told reporters.
“But a night like tonight, where you feel like there’s physicality on one side and kinda ticky-tack on the other, and then they get into the bonus and then it changes the complexity of the game.”
Curry continued, expressing some frustration with the officials’ inconsistency.
“It’s not like we don’t foul, I’m not saying that. It’s just consistency is key when it comes to understanding how you can defend in the game, and I know what coach is talking about. So it was tough tonight, slowed the whole game down, obviously [Jokic] made every free throw and changed the momentum, played into their hands. Until things change, you have to adjust. But it was frustrating.”
Jamal Murray Says Nikola Jokic Deserves All Foul Calls He Gets
GettyJamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets (left) and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors (right).
The Nuggets outshot the Warriors 32-23 at the free throw line on Christmas Day, which isn’t an uncommon discrepancy for a Golden State team that plays smaller than most — particularly Denver with its gigantic front line.
Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray also spoke to reporters following his team’s victory over the Warriors on Monday, December 25, and defended the calls that refs often make in Jokic’s favor.
“[Jokić] does a great job, man. You see his arms everywhere? Those are fouls,” Murray said, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “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.”
Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Rips NBA, Refereeing Policies After Nikola Jokic ‘Baits’ Refs Down Stretch
Getty Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors argues with a referee during an NBA game.
Kerr took to the podium and ripped the NBA on Christmas night for what he sees as an egregious legislation of defense out of the professional game.
“I have no problem with the officials themselves,” Kerr told reporters during the postgame press conference, per KNBR. “All across the league we have really good officials. 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 are teaching the officials, we’re just enabling players to BS their way to the foul line.”
Kerr went on to describe the NBA’s officiating trend as “disgusting.”
“If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just, you know, just baiting refs into calls. But the refs have to make those calls because that’s how they’re taught,” Kerr said.
“The players are really smart in this league. For over the last decade or so, they’ve gotten smarter and smarter and they’re just — we have enabled the players, and they are taking full advantage, and it’s a parade to the free throw line. And it’s disgusting to watch.”
The NBA is all but certain to fine Kerr a substantial amount for his criticism of its refereeing policies, though the league office had not announced any punishment as of early Tuesday afternoon.
Golden State plays its next game Thursday, December 28 when the Warriors host the Miami Heat at Chase Center.