The Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic left Thursday night with a 120-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, but one sequence in the third quarter drew almost as much attention as the final score.
Late in the period, Jokic stripped Jake LaRavia near the basket, and the ball appeared to ricochet off LaRavia before heading out of bounds. Veteran official Ed Malloy ruled it off Jokic, giving possession back to Los Angeles. A moment later, Luka Doncic buried a three-pointer, swinging momentum during a stretch when Denver tried to separate.
That decision immediately sparked a sharp reaction from analyst Stan Van Gundy on the broadcast, per AwfulAnnouncing.
Van Gundy Turns a Missed Call Into a Bigger Officiating Question
“That was clearly off of LaRavia. Ed Malloy’s in a little bit of a battle with Nikola Jokic right now,” Van Gundy said during the telecast. “I hate to say it, but it’s become personal for Ed Malloy. But that was an obvious call. There’s no way Ed Malloy missed that call.”
The comment landed harder than a routine complaint about officiating because Van Gundy did not frame it as a simple mistake. He suggested intent, which raised the temperature around what otherwise looked like one disputed out-of-bounds ruling.
Broadcasters criticize officials often, but they rarely go as far as implying a referee carries personal frustration into a game. That made the exchange stand out, especially because the play itself happened in traffic and unfolded quickly.
Van Gundy’s frustration also reflected how often Jokic absorbs physical contact without getting every whistle many around Denver expect. Jokic frequently reacts to missed calls, and that dynamic can become part of the game’s tone when officials and players continue talking through possessions.
Jokic, Nuggets Push Through the Noise
Even with that sequence, Denver stayed composed and finished the night strong enough to close out the Lakers.
Jokic again anchored the offense with his usual control, keeping Denver organized whenever Los Angeles threatened to flip momentum. The bad call did not derail the Nuggets, but Van Gundy’s words ensured the moment stayed part of the conversation after the final buzzer.
A missed call happens every night in the NBA. What made this one linger came from how forcefully Van Gundy framed it, turning one possession into a debate about whether Jokic gets judged differently when tensions rise.
