Nikola Jokic Says Thunder Fans' 'Free-Throw Merchant' Chants Are 'Kind of Funny'
Not one to be fazed by anything on the court, Nikola Jokić did acknowledge he was amused by the chants of "free-throw merchant" from the Oklahoma City crowd in the Denver Nuggets' 121-119 win over the Thunder on Monday night.
Speaking to reporters after the Game 1 victory (starts at 3:35 mark), Jokić admitted he didn't hear the chants but said it's "kind of funny."
One reason Jokić could laugh away the chants is because the Thunder couldn't stop him even when he wasn't getting to the charity stripe. The two-time MVP finished with 42 points, 22 rebounds and six assists in 42 minutes.
Jokić did get to the free-throw line a game-high 13 times, making 10 of them. As good as he was, though, Aaron Gordon had to play the hero role for the second time in this postseason with the game-winning three in the final seconds.
The "free-throw merchant" chants are a bit ironic coming from Thunder fans since it's an accusation that has been made against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander ranked second in the NBA during the regular season with 8.8 free-throw attempts per game. Jokić was tied for seventh with 6.4 attempts per game.
Even in the playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging two more free-throw attempts than Jokić (8.4 to 6.3).
The bigger concern for Thunder fans after Game 1 is hoping they can find anyone on the roster who might pose a threat to Jokić. Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren did not have a good time in their first playoff matchup with Denver's superstar.
Jokić outrebounded Hartenstein and Holmgren on his own (22-15). The Nuggets were able to steal a game in Oklahoma City and could potentially go back to Denver up 2-0 if they win again in Game 2 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
