Nikola Jokic’s favorite movie is “Gladiator.” Denver’s star center has been on the record that he loves the turn-of-the-Millenium flick starring Russell Crowe as Maximus, the Roman general who’s well-adjusted when he’s not fighting but flips the switch when he steps into the arena. Jokic has even said before that NBA players are like modern-day gladiators.
Jokic himself is a switch flipper — all one-liners and awkward dance moves before and after the whistles but oftentimes a maniac in between them. That competitive fire has helped turn the unknown second-rounder into one of the game’s most dominant players. But Jokic has admitted that at times, he lets his passion spill over too much, to the point where it becomes detrimental to his team.
“Sometimes it’s really hard,” Jokic said after he got ejected Sunday against the Wizards. “The ball is in my hands a lot. There is a lot of contact there. I know that I’m not going to get every call, but (I should) get the obvious ones at least.”
The play in question occurred with 3:47 to go. Jokic corralled an offensive rebound and flipped in a reverse layup but felt that he should’ve been awarded a free throw after Bobby Portis slapped him on the back with both hands. Jokic stepped toward James Capers, the official who was in his vicinity, and went ballistic. Capers hit him with two technical fouls, which disqualified him, and Denver ended up losing 95-90 in a game that was deadlocked at 88 when its best player got the boot.
It was the third time Jokic has been ejected this season and the second time this month he was tossed late in a close game. Afterward, Nuggets coach Michael Malone drew a line in the sand about Jokic’s outburst.
“He can’t get tossed,” Malone said. “I don’t care what they do to him or how bad the refereeing is. Foul call, no foul call, it doesn’t matter. He’s too valuable for our team. It’s the second time that’s happened. He can’t get tossed.”
Jokic has been nothing short of brilliant this season, but with the playoffs fast approaching, it’s fair to wonder how he’ll keep his emotions in check when the games get even more physical. Jokic’s outbursts at officials are cropping up more and more in recent weeks. On March 16, Tony Brothers tossed him from a game against the Pacers for arguing a call that went against him while fighting for a loose ball.
The Nuggets, who built a seven-point lead on Indiana before Jokic got tossed, hung on in that game without their best player. On Sunday, they weren’t so lucky. Denver scored two points over the final 3:47 of play, struggling to generate good looks without its go-to guy.
“I was fouled on the play,” said Jokic, who finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds despite an early exit. “They’re going to see it in the (last) two minutes (report) or whatever and say it was a foul. And I said basically, ‘He slapped me with two hands on my head.’ I don’t know, I swear or something, but he gave me (one) technical. Then I said something back. He said, ‘Do you want another one?” I said, ‘I don’t care,’ and he gave me another one.”
Sunday wasn’t the first time Jokic has expressed frustration with the way he’s officiated, and privately, members of the Nuggets organization have grumbled about the lack of respect one of the NBA’s premier players seems to get. Jokic does most of his scoring inside but attempts only 4.5 free throws per game — 25th out of the 34 NBA players who average at least 20 points per game.
“It’s a tough situation,” Paul Millsap said. “That particular play, he got hit pretty hard intentionally. But you’ve just got to keep inside and take a deep breathe, I guess, and let it go.”
It’s a fine line to walk: A team trying to make sure its star player is getting a fair whistle while also holding him accountable when he’s letting a questionable call get to him. Since Malone empowered Jokic in the middle of the 2016-17 season, he’s challenged him to become a better defender and stay even-keeled when things aren’t going his way. Jokic has improved in both of those departments, but weaknesses get held under a microscope and exploited come playoff time. Malone, who’s made deep playoff runs as an assistant with the Cavaliers and Warriors, knows how the postseason works.
“Hopefully, he’ll learn from his mistakes,” Malone said.
