Nikola Jokic's frequent trips to the free throw line drew criticism from Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who believes defense is undervalued in the NBA.

The Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to five games with a 120-114 victory over the Warriors on Monday night. While Jokic struggled from the field (4-of-12 shooting), he made 18 free throws and scored a career-high 26 points. The Nuggets shot 26-of-32 from the 3-point line as a team.

"I don't have a problem with the officiating itself," Kerr said." What I have a problem with is how the way we officiate encourages players to drill and create fouls. It's like the game becomes a constant parade to the free-throw line, and it's not fun to watch."

Cole acknowledged Jokic's talent but lamented the current style of officiating." He's a great player and he gets fouled a lot," Kerr admitted." But there's a line between aggressive play and causing fouls, and I think we see too much of the latter. It robs the game of physicality and passion."

Jokic's teammates defended his performance." He got beat up on the court," explained Jamal Murray, who scored a game-high 28 points." It's hard for the refs to call everything, but I think he was just playing hard and trying to get to the basket."

Stephen Curry also addressed the issue." It's frustrating when the physical play seems to be one-sided," he said." One team gets called for everything while the other gets away with more. It's hard to find a rhythm when the game is constantly interrupted by fouls."

In addition to the controversy, Jokic contributed 14 rebounds and eight assists. Michael Porter Jr. (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Aaron Gordon (16 points, 10 rebounds) provided valuable support for the Nuggets.

The game was close throughout, leading nine times in the second half. Denver finally put the game out of reach when Jokic hit a left-handed hook shot with 5:16 left in the game.

"We ended the fourth quarter well," said Nuggets head coach Michael Malone." It was a tough game, but we had a lot of players step up and make plays when it mattered most."

For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins returned after missing two games with an illness and scored 22 points. It was their 11th straight Christmas game.

Despite the loss, the Warriors showed resilience with Draymond Green sidelined. They have a 5-2 record in Green's absence, and Kerr believes they can keep the momentum going.