The Denver Nuggets overcame a challenging performance from their star player Nikola Jokic to secure a thrilling overtime victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, clinching a 2-1 lead in their playoff series. With the game on the line, the Nuggets responded with a whirlwind 14-2 blitz. That incredible wave of momentum pushed them over the top against the Thunder, showcasing the team’s inspiring knack for toughness and depth.
Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP, was terrible all night, scoring only 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting. His fourth quarter performance was atrocious. He finished tonight with an abysmal .125 true shooting percentage, making just 1 of 8 field goal attempts. Jokic struggled mightily in half-court scenarios, making just 4-of-18 attempts. Even in the case of Jokic who had an off-night, the Nuggets were able to rally because they were able to count on contributions from his teammates.
With time ticking away, Jokic went for an unlikely game-winning shot. His would-be game-winning jump shot bounced off the rim as the buzzer expired. Despite this, the rest of his teammates filled the gaps in his absence. Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. were all huge. Their combined defensive efforts went a long way to neutralize Jokic to a large extent, but maintain Denver’s competitiveness.
Jokic was quite ineffective when matched up against Christian Braun. He only converted 3 of his 10 attempts with Braun as the main defender. In spite of these difficulties, Jokic’s teammates stepped up in a big way. Jamal Murray echoed this confidence in Gordon’s readiness during the clutch moments when he said, “AG is always ready for the moment.” Aaron Gordon himself reflected on the team’s growth during this critical stretch, saying, “It’s growth. It’s big growth from our team.”
Even in the depths of his frustration, Jokic always had the mindset of impacting the game in other ways. Perhaps that’s why he stormed off the bench with such fire after a missed jump shot. Releasing a primal scream into the Ball Arena rafters, he exuded his love for the game and his competitive, win-at-all-costs spirit.
“I was frustrated, but I tried to stay in the game and do the little things.” – Nikola Jokic
He didn’t pull any punches in his self-evaluation, referring to himself as “the worst player on the court this evening.” Even so, the Nuggets flourished on the strength of their collective effort. With this squad, they proved that they could step up even in the moments when their best player wasn’t at her best.
As Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pointed out, like games late in the playoffs, the further you go in a game, execution is imperative. He stated, “The game gets slower, execution matters more,” highlighting the intensity of playoff basketball. He acknowledged his own shortcomings in decision-making during critical moments: “Honestly, the way I see it is you live or die by your decisions, and tonight I died by my decisions.”
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