'First Time We Didn't Have Offensive Fouls': Nikola Jokic Indirectly Takes Shot At Officiating In Game 6

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will live to fight another day as they came away with a crucial 119-107 win in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. When asked about some of the factors facilitating the win, however, the Nuggets' star center may have indirectly taken a shot at the state of officiating in the series.

Reporter: "Aaron and Peyton came out and then drew a bunch of fouls, and that got them into the bonus, and got a bunch of fouls on those guys. How do you feel like the aggressiveness in drawing those fouls tonight helped you guys get control of the game?"

Jokic: "Definitely helped to get control. I think this is the first time we didn't have offensive fouls in this series. That's helpful."

A key factor that helped the Nuggets walk away with a win in Game 6 was the amount of pressure their team put on Oklahoma's defense. The Thunder ended the season with the best defensive rating in the league. However, the Nuggets managed to overcome the Thunder's defensive schemes with relentless aggression on offense.

This persistent approach to attack OKC's defense yielded some terrific results as the Thunder racked up 28 fouls for the game, compared to Denver's 16. This also resulted in more visits to the charity stripe as the Nuggets had 32 FT attempts compared to the Thunder's 16.

The free-throw disparity has been a matter of contention throughout the series. Whether it has been the lenient whistle given to Thunder defenders or the differential way in which OKC's star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is officiated compared to Jokic, the officials have been put under the lens in this series.

For the majority of this series, the free-throw disparity hasn't been as severe. However, a differential of 16 free throws certainly raises some eyebrows heading into the final game of the series.

Regardless, the Nuggets simply outplayed the Thunder on Thursday night. The Serbian big man had yet another masterful performance, something that is becoming a commonplace occurrence for him. He led his team with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists while putting up hyper-efficient shooting splits of 9-14 FG and 10-12 from the FT line.

Denver saw valuable contributions from Jamal Murray, who was playing through an illness, as well. Murray has hit a bit of an upswing in the last two games. With a 28-point display in Game 5, the Nuggets guard followed up with 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on Thursday night.

With the Nuggets duo firing on all cylinders, the team seems primed to take on the Thunder in Game 7 on Sunday afternoon and continue their run through the postseason. However, some concerns regarding the status of Aaron Gordon's hamstring injury could throw a wrench in Denver's plans.