NBA admits officials missed critical call on Jokic in final minute of Kings-Nuggets game
The NBA acknowledged Sunday that officials missed a critical call against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic during the final minute of the Kings’ 115-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night at Ball Arena.
According to the Last Two Minute Report, Jokic should have been called for an illegal screen on De’Aaron Fox with 31.1 seconds remaining. Fox attempted to get around the screen, but a hip nudge from the 284-pound center sent him sprawling to the floor, freeing up Monte Morris for a 3-pointer that put the Nuggets up 113-110.
“Jokic (DEN) establishes himself in a screening position in the path of Fox (SAC), but extends his lower body into Fox and the contact dislodges him,” the Last Two Minute Report stated.
Jokic was playing with five fouls at the time and would have fouled out if officials called the play correctly. Instead, he remained in the game to grab a defensive rebound on Sacramento’s next possession and then converted two free throw to put the Nuggets up by five.
The Kings still had a slight chance of winning when Jokic was whistled for a foul on Kings forward Harrison Barnes with 6.1 seconds remaining, but that call was overturned on a challenge by Nuggets coach Michael Malone. The Last Two Minute Report concluded that Jokic maintained legal guarding position during Barnes’ shot attempt near the rim.
Barnes, who rarely criticizes officials, was clearly frustrated after the game.
“It’s interesting,” he said. “You get fouled on a play, no call. You talk to the refs. They say they missed it and you kind of go from there. It happens once, it’s fine, but when it happens multiple times, you sit at the end of the game and wonder. That’s six to eight to 10 free throws, right? Well, what could have happened?”
