Utah Jazz announcer irate over Nikola Jokić flopping: ‘Sniper in the building!’

Nikola Jokić appeared to be the beneficiary of some flopping antics Monday night, and the Utah Jazz announcers took that personally.

Jokić led the Denver Nuggets to a hard-fought 128-125 win over the 18-43 Jazz Monday night. But Jazz play-by-play voice Craig Bolerjack and analyst Thurl Bailey would probably say it wasn’t without some help from the officials, who were seemingly duped by Jokić’s flopping.

Bailey picked up on the antics in the first half, expressing frustration after Jazz guard Elijah Harkless was called for a foul after Jokić appeared to initiate contact and react to said contact.

“He sold it,” Bailey said. “Watch Harkless, little bump. And then watch Jokić, pow! Sniper in the building. I mean, come on.”

And the antics continued in the second half, with Bailey and Bolerjack noticing more flops from the Nuggets All-Star, as the officials continued to be fooled.

“I don’t know why the officials fall for that,” Bailey said after Jazz forward Ace Bailey, no relation to the analyst, went for a loose ball that saw Jokić drop to the floor. “And it’s just me personally, maybe. But you got two guys hooked up, and the defense gets the call. That really is a Jokić antic, and I think the officials ought to know that that’s what it is. Either just let them play, or give them both a foul!”

Despite all the calls going his way, Jokić wanted more, having the ball knocked out of his hands and immediately complaining to the officials for a foul call. And Bailey seemed more frustrated by the complaining than the refs did.

“Yeah, and this is the Jokić antics right here,” Bailey ranted. “He’s complaining to the ref about what? I mean, it’s been happening all night. He just knocked the ball out of your hands. So, there’s no complaint. Just play!”

“I’d like to be in the huddle right now with the officials,” Bailey said in the final seconds of the game. “There’s some obvious things that I saw in the game tonight, according to how this league makes calls. And it just seemed a little lopsided with the antics of one player being able to control that.”

Sometimes you have to use common sense as an official. And when a 6’ 3” 195lb guard causes a seven-foot 300lb center to fall without any obvious contact, maybe it was a flop. But three-time MVPs are going to get the benefit of the doubt, even as Jokić is often accused of being an expert flopper.

It may have been frustrating for the Jazz announcers to watch. But the good news for Utah is that the flopping helped them achieve its ideal outcome. They had players on the court who were playing hard and trying to win, but ultimately lost, as they continue to tank for more ping-pong balls in the NBA Draft lottery.