Tiktekno, summary of today's events in sports, 25.2/Sport1
LeBron James is again trying to put pressure on the referees.
After last night's (Sunday) 123:113 loss to Phoenix, during which the Lakers took only eight free throws - a negative season record and the team's fewest since James joined in 2018 - he first chuckled, and then explained why.
According to LeBron and the Lakers, who have already complained about the refereeing against them this season, teams in the league are conducting "a kind of campaign" on the back of the team, after throughout the season it goes to penalties more than any other team.
Now that "campaign" is starting to influence the judges, according to him.
"A lot of coaches and a lot of teams say over and over again, 'The Lakers don't stop going to the line.' to the growing trend in the league.
"We get into the paint, that's what we do best. Eight free throws is strange. That's not us."
Darwin Hamm also had his complaints, which as always began with the traditional introduction: "I'm not one to use the referees as an excuse, but...it's getting harder and harder. There's an inconsistency with the referees. Our guys don't get very many whistles that blow easily On the other side. They don't hear the whistle enough. I coach my players to go hard to the ring, that's part of what we do, but we just don't get whistles. I see players holding them, pushing them, hitting them in the head, trying to stop them in every way , and there is no whistle. It's frustrating."
Feeling deprived again.
LeBron tonight/GettyImages, Christian Petersen
And while LeBron and the Lakers are busy with the surrounding matters, Nikola Jokic and Denver are focused solely on one task: to reach the playoffs in as good shape as possible, to be ready to fight for a second championship in a row.
Tonight Jokic and the Nuggets came to San Francisco, beat Golden State 103:119 and completed a season sweep against them, as they go up to a record of 10 wins in the last 11 away games against the Warriors.
Jokic, who came back from the All-Star break with a storm, recorded his third triple-double in a row with 32 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists.
In the three games since returning from the break (in all three the Nuggets won) he scored over 20 points, grabbed at least 15 rebounds and dished out at least 14 assists.
Overall, Jokic now has 139 career triple-doubles, one more than LeBron James, even though LeBron has played 1,034 more games over the course of his career.
"Jokic was amazing, absolutely dominant, made it difficult for us again and again. He is a force in every possible aspect. So smart defensively, forces turnovers on you, he is a fantastic morale, sometimes without even seeing it," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
"He dominated the game, if he gives 16 assists it is very difficult to beat them, because it means that the other players are also involved."
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Does everything, even in defense.
Jokic vs. Draymond Green/GettyImages, Thearon W. Henderson
Klay Thompson added that "he is very big, very quick, and has a great touch and game vision. He played monster basketball tonight, which is not really surprising - he is one of the best players in the world."
After Joel Embiid's injury that disables him for a long time, Jokic appears to be the leading candidate to win the MVP of the regular season.
But for him, the goal is first of all a team group.
"We had three losses before the break, and now we have three wins. That's how it is in a season like this - there are ups and downs, and you just try to drag out the good times as long as possible. I feel like we're in the right direction, that's the most important thing," says Jokic .
Again he struggles, again it ends with questions about the state of his knees.
Kerry/GettyImages, Thearon W. Henderson/
The one who looked less good in the game is Steph Curry, who scored 20 points at low percentages (6 of 19 from the field, including only 1 of 10 from three).
This joins the previous game against Charlotte, in which Curry settled for 15 points on 5-of-14 from the field and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Steve Kerr did explain that "Steph looks a little tired" and promised that "we'll try to let him rest in one or two games soon", but Kerr didn't like the answer, and when asked about it, he didn't agree to use excuses.
"No, I don't feel tired, and I don't feel the need to sit on the sidelines in the following games," he says, and explains: "There are times like this during the season. Sometimes you're down, sometimes you're up, but thanks to the standards I set, every time I don't meet them they start asking Me, 'Are your legs tired?'
It no longer affects me."
More on the same topic:
LeBron James
Nikola Jokic
Stephen Kerry