Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic almost lost it after an out of bounds call in the third quarter of the NBA Finals Game 2 went in the Miami Heat's favor.
With 5:21 left to go, Jokic committed a turnover after the ball went out of bounds while he was fighting for possession with Max Strus. Jokic was initially trying to fight his way to the rim over Bam Adebayo before Strus came in to help and attempted to steal the ball.
As Jokic lost control, the ball went out of bounds. However, the Serbian big man felt it was Strus who last touched it. And so when the referee gave the possession to Miami, the two-time MVP couldn't hold back his emotions.
Another free possession for the Heat https://t.co/gEUOUUBCuJ pic.twitter.com/uFOGNxnXSS
— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) June 5, 2023
Nikola Jokic's face says it all, as he's clearly frustrated and disappointed with the call. Fortunately, the Joker was able to stop himself from further escalating the situation, which would have been more problematic for the Nuggets.
To be fair to the referees, however, it's hard to gauge who last touched the ball on their perspective. It surely looked like Jokic touched it last considering the direction of the ball, but then again, it would have been easier to review other camera angles. After all, Jokic wouldn't get mad like that if he thinks it was his turnover.
Unfortunately for both teams, Game 2 of the NBA Finals has been riddled with a number of missed calls. Earlier, Jimmy Butler wasn't called for a turnover after stepping out of bounds. Jokic, for his part, also benefited from what many deemed as a bad foul call on Adebayo.
Here's to hoping that officiating won't dictate the results of the series, though.
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