Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone had a parting shot at the referees in charge of their 108-106 Game 5 win over the Lakers, sarcastically praising Nikola Jokic for missing 0 free throws on a night he didn't get a single call to send him to the line.
“Nikola was 25/20/9 tonight. And the most amazing stat of the night- he was 0/0 from the free throw line, he did not miss a free throw tonight.”
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Jokic was relatively passive for most of the game, conducting the offense in a way that allowed Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray to be potent offensive threats.
Jokic could have gone to the line a few times, but there is one play that many fans believe was egregiously overturned after a challenge when it would have resulted in free throws for the center.
The referees overturned the clear foul by Anthony Davis and recorded it as a block, making sure Jokic doesn't go to the line at all this game. Thankfully, he didn't need free throws to put up 25 points, 20 rebounds, and nine assists while Jamal Murray got to seal the game with an incredible shot.
Malone Thinks Darvin Ham Deserves To Stay As Lakers Head Coach
Reflecting on the heated first-round series between the Nuggets and the Lakers, Coach Malone openly said that the Lakers should retain Darvin Ham as their head coach, showering him with praise.
“I think Darvin Ham is a hell of a coach. That’s not an easy job. I think Darvin does it with class. He’s a good man, a good coach, and I wish him all the best. Hopefully, he’ll be around there for a long time because he deserves to be.”
These comments came before The Athletic shared a story in which they claim Darvin Ham's future with the Lakers is in peril after two seasons, with the team currently deciding if they need to make a coaching change.
"The Lakers’ unflattering finish leaves Ham’s future as head coach in serious peril, multiple league and team sources tell The Athletic, with some stakeholders indicating it’s highly unlikely he’ll return. The plan is to reassess everything that went wrong in the coming days before making a final decision. In 2022, Ham signed a four-year deal in the range of $5 million per season, so the team would be assuming the remainder of his deal if he is fired."
Coach Malone has had a 13-3 record against Ham in the two years that Ham has been in charge of the Lakers. Eight of those wins have come in the playoffs, with the Nuggets hammering home their superiority over the Lakers in this stretch.
Malone is going to be as secure in his job as the likes of Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra if he can continue this era of Nuggets success. He built this roster over 10 years of coaching, so expecting these results without building with a coach for a long time isn't realistic.
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