Kendrick Perkins rips double standards against LeBron James as fans demand 'help' for Nikola Jokic - "Stop moving goal post" 

Kendrick Perkins came to LeBron James' defense after fans demanded more help around Nikola Jokic after Denver's Game 5 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday. Jokic scored 44 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and two steals, shooting 68.0%, including 5 of 7 from 3.

However, the Nuggets lost the battle in the clutch and fell to a 112-105 loss despite holding a 12-point lead in the third quarter. No one stepped up for the Nuggets in the final frame as they failed to make a shot for seven minutes before Jokic broke the drought.

Jokic and the Nuggets seemed gassed throughout the final 12 minutes as he played the entire quarter, and the lack of support around him had fans craving for him to get more help. Perkins raised an issue with it on X, suggesting that the goal posts were being moved, citing the narratives around 40-year-old James, when Lakers coach JJ Redick asked him to play 24 minutes in the second half of LA's Game 4 loss to the Timberwolves.

"Bron gets tired at 40 years old and people question his greatness… but Jokic gets tired and its he needs more help. We gotta stop moving goal post," Perkins wrote.

James has faced immense criticism over the past few years for not being able to expend a great deal of energy for 48 minutes on the court. Despite the miles under him and his age, critics have often questioned his "greatness" when the Lakers have lost.

However, the consensus narrative when Denver loses has been around the lack of support around Jokic, with the Nuggets not having a single All-Star apart from the Serbian. The three-time MVP is often spared by the critics, owing to his impeccable production across the board.

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Nikola Jokic and David Adelman on playing him for full 4th quarter

Nikola Jokic didn't put much blame on the starters playing the entire fourth quarter in Tuesday's loss. It was a debatable move as Denver's players looked fatigued compared to the young Thunder team. However, Jokic's reaction suggested it wasn't a problem as such. Jokic said David Adelman told him he could stay in if he wished and the Nuggets center gave a positive response. He added:

"Did that change anything? I don’t know. We had good looks. We just didn’t make them."

Meanwhile, David Adelman believed the group on the floor had good rhythm entering the fourth quarter. With the Nuggets itching to win Game 5 and earn a chance to play a closeout Game 6 at home, he stuck with his decision to play the same five-man lineup in the last quarter.

He conceded that fatigue may have played a role, but also suggested that the shot quality and late-game pressure got to Denver.

"You can say it's fatigue," Adelman said. "You can say it's shot quality too. I thought early in the quarter we did get really good shots it didn't fall. And their late, their pressure got to us, we were up against the clock a lot."

Adelman also took accountability for players' fatigue, saying it was ultimately his decision to keep them in.