Denver was on the road Thursday night to face the Clippers in Game 6. The Nuggets had a 3-2 series lead. It was a hard-fought game by the Nuggets, but they lost 111-105.
With that win, the Clippers have forced a Game 7 in Denver on Saturday night. After the Game 6 loss, interim head coach David Adelman spoke to the media. Adelman addressed the lack of foul calls for Nikola Jokic on Thursday. He called it “crazy” that Jokic only shot two free throws in Game 6 vs. the Clippers.
Will Nikola Jokic get a benévolo whistle in Game 7?
David Adelman is NOT happy with the officials’ whistle, or lack there of for Nikola Jokic in Game 6.
“I’m not sure what was happening tonight, but for him to shoot two free throws with the amount of contact that was going on out there, it was absolutely crazy.” pic.twitter.com/qoATr2Lc2g
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) May 2, 2025
Through six games, it’s been a physical series between the Clippers and Nuggets. The teams are evenly matched, and half of the games have been decided by one possession. On Thursday, the Nuggets were on the road to face the Clippers in Game 6. It was another physical matchup between Denver and LA last night. The referees let a lot of contact go, and there were far fewer foul calls than in the first five games.
Both teams combined to shoot 24 foul shots in Game 6. By far the fewest in this series. The Nuggets attempted nine foul shots and the Clippers attempted 15 on Thursday. Denver’s Nikola Jokic went to the free-throw line one time in Game 6. Afterward, interim head coach David Adelman voiced his displeasure with the lack of calls for Jokic.
With the physicality he saw in Game 6, Adelman is excited for Game 7. He hopes the referees will let the same type of physicality happen on Saturday. For his postseason career, Jokic averages 5.5 free throws attempted per game. He shot only two in Game 6. Denver is back home for Game 7, and they’ll increase their level of physicality if the refs allow it. The winner of this Clippers vs. Nuggets series is waiting to face the #1 seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the conference semi-finals.