Nikola Jokic refuses to back down after Nuggets fans boo the team as Draymond Green sends Warriors fans a message

Two days after telling booing fans to stay away, the Denver Nuggets center, Nikola Jokic said it again following Monday’s 134-114 home loss to the Golden State Warriors. Denver is 1-2, the defense is giving up points in bunches, and the crowd fell quiet. It began after a wild overtime win on Saturday, when Denver erased a 23-point hole while parts of the crowd jeered. Draymond Green has since weighed in, aimed at Warriors fans. Jokic also named what is wrong with this team, and the list was long.Why did Nikola Jokic stand by his comments about Nuggets fans?Asked about the boos again after Monday’s loss, the 31-year-old center did not budge. “I’m sticking to what I said,” Jokic told reporters. He has played in front of 10 people and in front of 15,000, but never heard a home crowd turn on its team. “I’m not used to fans booing their own team,” he said.Pressed on whether European crowds only boo opponents, the Serbian star said he had never heard of it. “Probably they are, but I think they’re not the real fans.”The first comment came after Saturday’s 141-135 overtime win over New Orleans, when Denver erased a 23-point deficit. Jokic had 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, including eight points in overtime. He said the fans who booed “don’t need to come anymore.”Monday brought no boos, even with the Warriors up 24 in the fourth quarter. Silence filled the arena. Denver trailed only 60-56 at halftime before the game got away, and Jokic finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.What did Draymond Green tell Warriors fans?Green backed Jokic on his podcast. “I agree with Jokic on this,” the Warriors forward said, adding “He is dead serious.” His view is plain. Fans who boo in the first home game show up with a negative mindset. Green still called fans great and said the game does not move forward without them.Denver trailed New Orleans 73-57 at the half on Saturday, and Green still found it baffling to boo in a home opener. Golden State is 1-3 after Monday’s win, and its crowd has stayed behind the team so far.Jokic had a bigger worry than the stands. Asked what Denver must fix, he said “everything,” then pointed hardest at defense. “We cannot defend.” The Nuggets rank 26th with a 119.3 defensive rating. Spencer Jones and Alpha Diallo sat out Monday. Diallo could return Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET in New Orleans.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.