In the NBA Finals, Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić’s Play Won Hearts Of Fans & Game With Passion
In the NBA Finals, Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić’s Play Won Hearts Of Fans & Game With Passion.
In the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokić's Play Won Hearts Of Fans & Game With Passion - the image is a screen grab.
DENVER —Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić is easier to understand as a large, brutal boxer than a graceful, skilled basketball player. He uses his size and strength to his advantage on every possession, and he makes sure that you do the same.
Although Jokić only attempted a few shots in the first three quarters, he, along with his colleagues, has played with a level of focus and determination that no one else has been able to equal in these playoffs.
Jokić’s Finals debut was a success, as he recorded another triple-double (27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds).
The Denver Nuggets dominated Game 1 of the NBA Finals, defeating the Miami Heat by a score of 104-93 in a game that was not quite as close as the spread would have you believe.
Some similarities have emerged between the Heat (the eighth seed) and the Nuggets (first in the West since December). Before Thursday, both teams had won the first game of every postseason series they had entered.
The Nuggets and Jokić knew that the Heat would have success on the road against Milwaukee, New York, and Boston. Jokić knew he would be the Heat’s No. 1 scouting priority, but instead of fighting the establishment, he used his aggression to inspire his squad.
Jokić’s purposeful role as facilitator and even decoy allowed Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon to get off to fast starts, which appeared to throw off the Heat in the opening salvo of this chess battle.
With Orlando, Gordon may have been overshadowed as a top option, but he is an ideal match with Denver’s explosive offense. Miami gambled by challenging Gordon to beat them, allowing Max Strus and Gabe Vincent to draw easy switches since they thought the Nuggets wouldn’t regularly take advantage of it. They made a mistake. Serious error.
Jokić moved Bam Adebayo out to the perimeter, giving Gordon room to punish the smaller guards from the low block. Given the stakes, a confrontational stance would have been easy (if not enticing) for Jokić.
Fans and non-fans alike have their attention riveted on these two teams in the basketball world. Jokić might have dressed up Adebayo in a clown costume like he did Anthony Davis in the previous round. But the situation demanded a change, and he made it.
Jokić remarked, “To be completely honest, I couldn’t wait to start, simply because when the game started it felt abnormal.” To paraphrase, “everything else didn’t feel — felt abnormal, and the whole media day yesterday or the day before, it was — I think people are making something bigger than it is.”
Nikola Jokić
He attempted fewer shots (5 through 3 quarters) than any other Nuggets starter, while Adebayo threw up 18 more. While Jokić was still the center of attention, Adebayo was Miami’s only offensive option.
Gordon started things off with 12 points in the first quarter, and Murray executed some chin-ups around the rim on the way to 18 points before halftime.
As he has been doing all season, Jamal Murray was outstanding with 26 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. “It’s hard to guard everybody, instead of just one or two guys,” he said. We force you to play a full 60 minutes of defense.
Tonight was a perfect illustration of how the night, and the quarter, may belong to anyone. Just another night of Nuggets basketball.
Of course, it helped that Miami’s 3-point shooters struggled, with Strus shooting 0%-10 (9-9 FG) from beyond the arc. Caleb Martin, who had a breakout game against the Celtics, likewise failed to show up, shooting only 1-of-7 from the field.
After the first few minutes, Jimmy Butler didn’t do much to help his team, and that probably won’t change until Sunday’s Game 2.
The Boston and Milwaukee fans you heard groaning were perplexed as to why the Heat suddenly couldn’t hit a 3 pointer, making only 26% through the opening three quarters.
Perhaps it was the fact that the Nuggets’ defense came out strong in the first game of the Finals.
You can’t win the championship on offense alone. Murray remarked, “That’s not easy to do.” Jokić has very capable hands in that area. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is known for his belligerence. Bruce [Brown] is a top-tier defensive player. One of the top defenders is [Gordon].
The Nuggets had a 17-point lead and seemed like they would just run away and hide for the remainder of the game, jabbing well anytime it appeared that the Heat might try to make things interesting.
That, to me, is Nikola’s greatest charm. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone remarked, “I learned a long time ago the defense tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it.” If they’re going to focus on him, they might as well know that he had 10 assists by the break. You can expect him to dissect you. It’s time for the rest of you to take some risks now.
There’s been a concerted push to elevate Jokić to sainthood, with claims that he puts team success ahead of personal recognition and goals. This may be accurate, but it ignores a crucial part of his game: his obsession with establishing his superiority.
He uses his weight and size advantage to lean on you like a heavyweight, knowing that he can wear you down over the course of 12 rounds (or seven games) and win the fight.
It’s become something of a motto for the Nuggets, and it’s shown in the team’s increased use of bumps, screens, and general aggression.
Gordon praised him as follows: “He’s a force down there, and he’s just more athletic than people give him credit for, and he just has a ridiculous motor.” His drive is inexhaustible. Protecting a man of his ilk is no easy task.
They may not be the strongest group, but their dogged determination is pure Jokić.
We got into the bonus early, I believe it was the fourth quarter,” Malone said. I tried to “post him up,” “get him the ball,” and “screen Bam” so that Nikola could pass to Bam in a scoring position.
Jokić scored 12 of his team-high 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat mounted a small comeback. The Heat will gain confidence and realize they can play better moving forward in the series, but the Nuggets and Jokić will continue to lean on them, punching until there is little left in their punches.
