Nikola Jokic is at it again as the Denver Nuggets took the early initiative in against the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Nuggets took Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Monday night, storming into the lead down the stretch for a 121-119 victory.
It was Jokic who led his team to a surprise Game 1 winGETTYAfter coming through a tortuous seven-game series with the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1, Denver were expected to take their time against the top seeded hosts.
However Aaron Gordon’s three pointer with seconds remaining clinched a surprise win that was characterised by a gritty Nuggets team who rallied to make a comeback after being spurred on by a passionate Nikola Jokic.
Prior to the Nuggets’ win, they were down as many as 14 points, and it led to Jokic aggressively barking orders to his teammates during a timeout as they were being overwhelmed by the Thunder.
The 30-year-old, who led his team with 42 points, 22 rebounds and six assists, was hailed by Charles Barkley for his leadership in that moment, which sparked a remarkable Nuggets comeback.
“You said something earlier, Joker is coaching right now. He is taking control of that team,” Barkley said on TNT.
“You said you’ve seen him be more animated and emotional, it’s all happened in the last month.
“Joker’s like ‘No, no, no, this is my team, we gonna keep winning’ because he’s the one constant, and it’s great to watch, man.
Whatever Jokic – who scored 42 points to go with six assists and 22 rebounds – said lit a fire in the Nuggets as they outscored Oklahoma 71-59 in the second half.
Fans are used to seeing everything from Jokic on the court except for one thing: emotion.
“For once Chuck is right: it’s been unreal to see Jokic be so animated and emotional. But maybe it’s working for the team,” one fan posted on X.
The Nuggets have stolen home-court advantage Shai Gilgeous-Alexander impressed but it wasn’t enough in the endGETTYWhile the game in the end would be won by Gordon’s winner, it was unsurprisingly Jokic who was the star of the night.
He became the first player with 40+ points and 22+ rebounds in a playoff game since Shaquille O’Neal did so in 2000.
The Serbian had to contain frustration en route to doing so as well after he elbowed Luguentz Dort in the jaw and was called for his fifth foul of the day and Flagrant 1 with seven minutes left to play.
But Jokic never picked up his sixth and scored 16 points from that point, and he had a simple message at the end of the contest.
“The team wants me to be aggressive and I’m trying to help the team win the game,” he said.
For MVP rival Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, this loss serves nothing but a reality check about the surprises of a postseason.
“It should be fun,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the Thunder’s first loss this postseason following a one-sided 4-0 sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies.
“We’re going to find out what we’re made of, what we’re really made of. Nobody expected it to be smooth sailing this whole journey
Today’s a bump in the road — unexpected. No one expects to lose, especially that way, but it’s the game of life. So it’s about how you respond to getting knocked down.”
The Canadian led his team with 33 points, and his dunk with 11 seconds left was the Thunder’s only field goal in the last three minutes, demonstrating just how much they capitulated.
“I can do a better job of getting us organized and getting us quality looks,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said
We need to execute better. I need to coach better. They need to execute the plan better, and we just need to be a better team in Game 2.”
The Thunder can correct their wrongs on Wednesday in Game 2 as they look to defend their home-court before heading to Denver on Friday for Game 3.
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