Jokic Should Have Been Ejected! Nuggets vs. Jazz Referee Report: Two Missed Calls, Each Team Affected Once

On March 4, Beijing time, the NBA officially released the last two-minute referee report for the Nuggets vs. Jazz game. The report shows two missed calls in the final two minutes, each team suffering one disadvantage. Nonetheless, a mistaken call concerning Jokic was crucial; Jokic ought to have been disqualified with 31 seconds left on the clock.

The first was a non-call, occurring with 42 seconds left in the game. The Jazz's Filipowski grabbed Jokic's jersey away from the ball, but the referees did not call a foul on Filipowski at that moment. This missed call benefited the Jazz and disadvantaged the Nuggets.

The second was an incorrect call. With 31.8 seconds remaining, during Murray's free throw attempt, Jokic made physical contact with Filipowski, pushed him away, and then landed on him. The referees called a foul on Filipowski for off-ball contact, awarding Jokic a free throw. However, the referee report states this was a wrong call; Jokic should have been called for the foul. Since Jokic already had five personal fouls at that time, a correct call would have resulted in his ejection. This incorrect call disadvantaged the Jazz and benefited the Nuggets.

Additionally, with 16.3 seconds left in the game, the Nuggets successfully challenged a defensive foul called on Jokic. The referee report confirms this challenge was correct: Jokic's defense on George's drive to the basket was legal. He made permissible contact with his forearm against George's side, initially made contact with the ball and the hand holding the ball, and any contact with George's arm afterward was incidental.

Ultimately, the Nuggets narrowly defeated the Jazz 128-125. However, in the final quarter, the Nuggets attempted 21 free throws compared to the Jazz's 3, sparking considerable discussion.