Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy got involved in the action Saturday during Game 1 of his team’s first-round series against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers held a 96-95 lead with under a minute to play at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had the ball in the corner while being defended by Jamal Murray. The Nuggets guard tapped the ball out of bounds, which the referee James Williams ruled Nuggets ball.
Great play from Murray, Kawhi is WAY too nonchalant with the ball pic.twitter.com/nWfK6yTxgS
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) April 19, 2025
Jokic wanted to get the inbound pass in before the Clippers could challenge the play. But the ball ended up in the hands of Van Gundy on the Clippers’ bench. LAC’s lead assistant got into a tug of war with the Joker to help give the Clippers enough time to challenge the call.
Why was Nikola Jokic and Jeff Van Gundy FIGHTING over the basketball 😭😭pic.twitter.com/IPt5zWnRRN
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) April 19, 2025
The Clippers were eventually able to initiate a coach’s challenge, thanks in part to Van Gundy’s delay tactics. However, the replay confirmed that the ball last touched Leonard.
Jokic may have lost the tugging battle against Van Gundy, but his team was able to win the war. The Nuggets, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the contest, were able to force overtime.
The home team won a 112-110 barn burner to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Jokic tallied 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists in the victory.
