Mark Jackson’s comments that the Denver Nuggets were intentionally targeting Stephen Curry - specifically, his injured ankle - cost him, as the NBA has fined him $25,000 for attempting to influence the referees.
Mark Jackson fined $25,000 for Nuggets comments
Mark Jackson’s accused the Denver Nuggets of playing dirty defense on Stephen Curry cost him, as the NBA tagged him with a fine for trying to sway referees.
Doug Pensinger
No surprise here. Curry is the key to the Warriors, as he’s averaging 17 points in the team’s two losses and 30 points in their three wins. Regardless of whether or not it was intentional, the Nuggets were making a concerted effort to play him physically in Game 5. It worked, and he shot only 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, his worst performance of the series. Jackson’s comments caused a media frenzy, but they also brought a lot of attention to the Nuggets’ aggressive defense, which could cause the referees to blow their whistle a little bit more.
Although Jackson will eat the fine, that doesn’t mean his comments didn’t have their intended effect. If the refs call fouls on Curry’s defenders, he’ll either score a lot of points - he’s a 90 percent shooter from the line - or the opposition will back off, which will give him the space make shots.
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