By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic remains Clippers‘ biggest cover-up issue in defense, as he fouled out Ivica Zubac in Game 3 and put both Montrezl and JaMychal Green in trouble early on. While speaking to reporters after the game, Patrick Beverley gave a very frank answer about what it is like to guard Jokic.
“Jokic presents the same type of, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say problems, but he presents the same thing Doncic presents, Luka presents, a lot of flailing,” Beverley said. “You know, puts a lot of pressure on the referees to make the right call. I think Zu did a hell of a job. Six fouls did, what he needed to do. Got one big dunk at the end. Big free throws at the end. We got a win. I think that’s the most important.”
Beverley, who has been fined $25,000 for verbal abuse of a referee in Game 2 against Denver, spent 21 minutes on the court in Game 3, posting 7 points and 4 rebounds.
Jokic gave his own answer to Beverley in the post-game presser. After shrugging with the explanation of “flailing”, he commented:
“They had 26 free throws. We had 10,” Jokic said. “I mean, I’m just showing the ref that it’s a foul.”
“You need to know when to be aggressive. You need to know to get into the body. Sometimes the advantage of the whistle is on your side or on the opponent’s side. They are a little bit more experienced than us in those situations, so maybe that’s it”, Jokic added.