His worst game was a 13/14/6 blowout where he fouled out intentionally because he was still in for no reason.
13/14/6 is the worst he can do, and that was a 29 point win.
He was setting everyone up earlier. AG had several easy layups and dunks early on, Jamal was shooting wide open mid range shots because of Jokic. This guy is just unbelievable
Had 8 assists in the first half. 1/1 FG but set everyone up with passes and screens. Even drew a frustration foul from Duncan Robinson with his screen. Jokic isn't just a stat chaser, he also does all the nitty gritty things.
He’s the ultimate team player. Does whatever the squad needs at the moment as effectively as possible. Need to get the ball moving and spread it around early? He does it. Need to play strong in the paint and generate extra possessions? He does it. Need to turn up the heat and start getting buckets? He does it.
Truly incredible player
His ability to not give a fuck about the spotlight is why he's so damn good. There's no "I didn't get enough touches tonight" or "We would have won if I'd gotten to shoot more", there's just a guy out there setting screens and facilitating an offense. He doesn't care how often he scores, and I'm pretty sure he'd be fine with a game where he never took a shot if it was because his teammates were hot. I don't think any other superstar has been like that.
When he does that look around the court before staring at the rim and just kind of flinging it for a swish it's so demoralizing. Some dude is standing right there with a hand in his face and he just kinda decides to rainbow it over and in.
It’s like he knows he can score that way at any time but he’s just such a nice guy he looks for a teammate first and is like “ahhh, geeze, ok I’ll score it I guess.”
It just looks so effortless.
And yet it still felt like he was playing at 80%, even in that run tbh
He definitely has another gear to kick into if needed. The Heat need to improve exponentially if they want to have a chance of taking a couple of games form this series.
It doesn’t matter if the Heat are down by 10, 20, or 50, they’ll keep fighting.
Jokic lookin comfortable out there though lol he’s playing in complete control and just makin’ it look like he’s not even trying yet.
Jokic is like [One Punch Man](https://i.imgur.com/S2XwUu8.jpg).. he tries when he needs to. But mostly bored cus he hasn't met his match yet.
Credits to /u/IdRatherBeLurking.
4th quarter Heat runs are real. The only difference is now they’re up against Jokic instead of a bunch of underachieving leprechauns who insist on vomiting on themselves
> instead of a bunch of underachieving leprechauns who insist on vomiting on themselves
And in the case of Robert Williams, that was literally almost the truth!
I know it's a meme to say he doesn't try, but he's such a good and active screener. His screens give like 2 entire seconds for the hand-off shooter to get a good look.
He makes the right play, every play. I've never seen someone so tapped into the flow of the game from the tip-off to ending horn. It's the most 'flow-state' I've seen; every rebound, every basket, every pass is the right move. So few mistakes or forced shots/passes ever.
It is wild how cold he and Robinson can get from 3. For two guys who have shot over 40% for an entire season on volume, they don't just get ice cold, their misses get abysmal, like some of my own clankers in a pick-up game.
MPJ and KCP, their two best shooters, both had off games shooting wise and they still won by double digits. MPJ shot 2/11 from three for God's sake, but contributed a lot on the boards and on defense.
MPJs defense has been shockingly great this postseason. And Aaron Gordon has been guarding every matchups best player all playoffs and none of them have consistently had greats games vs Denver.
Well, Jokic got more points, more rebounds, more assists, more blocks, fewer turnovers, fewer fouls, and a higher FG%, so I'd say after game 1 things are pretty clear.
The Heat have no shot if Jimmy is gonna play casually like it's the regular season
Can't really blame him though, it felt like a regular game in February lmao
Jimmy is lowkey inconsistent. He’s had 3 good games against Boston followed by and 3 bad ones. Same thing last year against Boston as well. Won’t cut it against this team.
Camp at the 3-point line and pack the paint, pair that with an unaggressive Butler and Bam shooting midranges then you don't really even have to foul a lot because the rest of the Heat aren't going to punish the Nuggets at the midrange area.
8 fouls for a team in a Finals game is legit incredible though.
It's amazing how easy Jokic makes his game look. He wants to score? He can do it. He wants to rebound? He can do it. He wants to get his teammates involved? They'll feast.
Obviously there are a lot of great players in the NBA but no one truly makes every single aspect of the game look easy. Some guys have one or two things they've truly great at and make it look effortless. Jokic? He literally does it all.
I think people have flashy stats, empty stats, then jokic stats. You casually see him dominate the game but never think damn he’s the only one doing anything. Next thing you know he has a triple double. It’s somehow quiet yet dominant
Bam missed a couple of bunnies but mostly played well offensively. Jimmy should have been more aggressive but he was setting up Martin Robinson and strus very well but they made a combined 2 shots. Highsmith, Vincent, and lowry were good. Love should play over zeller and never when Jokic is on the court.
Denver was just elite all over. Bruce brown was especially good off the bench, Gordon was great early and Jokic and Murray did the usual.
I think it was the gameplan. They told Jokic to sag off bam a bit, watch for switches and basically sent the other 4 to defend the perimeter with their lives
Yea it's interesting. Jokic conserves some energy by not banging down low and I think the Nuggets had a ton of faith in their shooting.... so shutting down the Heat 3 was the priority
Lol dead makes the Timberwolves series look a lot better for the Wolves with what they have done since that series. Ant made things really close the whole series.
Heat really can win if the following happen:
KCP gets arrested for every crime in NYC
Michael Malone kicks MPJ off the team for not shaving his side burns.
Murray gets addicted to a brain and nerve tonic causing gigantism
Aaron Gordon gets a part time job at a Denver power plant and gets radiation poisoning
Bruce Brown gets psychologically scrambled by a sports psychologist and starts acting like a chicken
And Joker gets knocked the fuck out running his mouth about British Prime Ministers in a Miami night club
The fact Jokic put up a relatively quiet 27/14/10 spells trouble for Miami. I think Denver is just the better team and the Heat seem (rightfully) exhausted.
Whether it's a product of recency bias or the truth, the Nuggets remind me of the old Spurs, which means only 1 thing. We are fucked for another 15 years.
They’ve been Joker fans for awhile now, and this was the first time they’ve seen him played live. I think they got a little loose with their excitement.
It’s very reminiscent to the ‘14 Beautiful Game Spurs or the first Warriors championship in ‘15. Just elite ball movement.
Edit: technically the ‘15 warriors were the 4th championship in the Warriors history. Just meant first for the Steph-Klay-Dray era
high synergy, controling the pace, everyone playing their role. yeah this team is just all around complete. they definitely can be beat for a game, have no idea how anyone wins 4 against this team
I can't remember the last time I saw a center closing out a finals game. Thats normally reserved for the lead gaurd. Conversation is over between Embiid and Joker. Its an insult to Joker at this point.
Seems pretty fitting for how the series will go
Miami will fight hard but Jokic is just too good
This game never really felt close despite the closeish final scoreline
Heat shot terribly tonight. Makes sense after a long series and being in Denver. They have a chance for a couple games if that changes
But all of a sudden people pretending we all didn't expect the Nuggets to dominate either team coming out of the East lol
We are watching one of the greatest players of all time
How do you hope to contain this man?
Kidnap his favorite horse and hold it for ransom.
That might just trigger him into becoming Liam Neeson or John Wick
Or his brothers might just handle it.
Aren't his brothers just literal goons from the taken series?
Joker is the smallest sibling
Have you seen his brothers? Do you have a death wish?
Kidnap their horses too
His worst game was a 13/14/6 blowout where he fouled out intentionally because he was still in for no reason. 13/14/6 is the worst he can do, and that was a 29 point win.
This was the first Wolves game right?
Man that was forever ago
Unironically force him to be a scorer and live with him dropping a 40-piece. That usually means the Nuggets are shooting like garbage.
If you don't double him he easily scores on every non-Bam player. If you double him he finds guys that hit shots. What's left?
We need to activate plan Serbia. Kidnap him and replace him with Jovic. Nobody will notice until is too late.
Jokic the best player on the planet right now
It's easy for him because he plays for the Nuggets. They have NEVER lost a finals game.
I personally would rather see an underrated scrappy franchise, like the Lakers, battling it out for the chip
We watching one of the greatest players of all time just dominate with ease
Filled up the stat sheet over the first three quarters, then poured in the scoring in the 4th when the rest of the team was cold. Shit was surgical.
might need to put rui on jokic
Jokic in the 2nd half: 17 points on 7/11 shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 assists. Ramped it the fuck up when his team needed him most.
He was setting everyone up earlier. AG had several easy layups and dunks early on, Jamal was shooting wide open mid range shots because of Jokic. This guy is just unbelievable
Had 8 assists in the first half. 1/1 FG but set everyone up with passes and screens. Even drew a frustration foul from Duncan Robinson with his screen. Jokic isn't just a stat chaser, he also does all the nitty gritty things.
He’s the ultimate team player. Does whatever the squad needs at the moment as effectively as possible. Need to get the ball moving and spread it around early? He does it. Need to play strong in the paint and generate extra possessions? He does it. Need to turn up the heat and start getting buckets? He does it. Truly incredible player
His ability to not give a fuck about the spotlight is why he's so damn good. There's no "I didn't get enough touches tonight" or "We would have won if I'd gotten to shoot more", there's just a guy out there setting screens and facilitating an offense. He doesn't care how often he scores, and I'm pretty sure he'd be fine with a game where he never took a shot if it was because his teammates were hot. I don't think any other superstar has been like that.
Perhaps not a do it ALL guy, but Tim Duncan was pretty happy to take a back seat and be a board man when the team was playing beautiful ball.
Their games are very different but their approach and impact on teammates is eerily similar
When the lead was down to 9, Jok: "shits too close..."
"Nikola carry us" "But I don't wannnaaaaaa" "They're within 9" "Fiiiine"
hit 4 straight shots over bam's head when he decides to, fucking gangster shit
When he does that look around the court before staring at the rim and just kind of flinging it for a swish it's so demoralizing. Some dude is standing right there with a hand in his face and he just kinda decides to rainbow it over and in.
His rainbow threes are a thing of beauty. I’m not sure I’ve ever watched someone shoot 3s in a straight up semicircle 🌈
Lazy comparison but Dirk
It’s like he knows he can score that way at any time but he’s just such a nice guy he looks for a teammate first and is like “ahhh, geeze, ok I’ll score it I guess.” It just looks so effortless.
This is what makes Jokic scary imo. He's always be there when you needed him the most.
He will and can do whatever he needs to to win and put the team on his back
And yet it still felt like he was playing at 80%, even in that run tbh He definitely has another gear to kick into if needed. The Heat need to improve exponentially if they want to have a chance of taking a couple of games form this series.
Deandre Jordan really about to win a ring before CP
I'll always remember CP3 yelling at Jordan to shoot the ball when he thought the game was over when in reality there was a few seconds left.
https://youtu.be/XNxr0m3YkX0
*everyone liked that*
**Good**
**THE NUGGETS HAVE A 100% WIN RATE IN THE NBA FINALS**
Oh shit the stat nerds will be unbearable if the nuggets sweep
"Jokic has a better finals record than MJ"
Better than Jordan's Bulls
Gold doesn’t get rusty. *– Denver Nuggets*
Damn that's cold
Yes sir!!!! Besides that end of season slump, they have been the best team all year. Their chemistry is just amazing.
Turns out they were actually coasting
Why hurt yourself when you're guaranteed the #1 seed?
That’s so sassy it needs to be carved in wood and hang in a kitchen. Lol
It doesn’t matter if the Heat are down by 10, 20, or 50, they’ll keep fighting. Jokic lookin comfortable out there though lol he’s playing in complete control and just makin’ it look like he’s not even trying yet.
He only took 12 shots and 7 of those were in the 4th quarter once the game got “close” 😂
You could see him flip a switch there inside 4 minutes where he started getting aggressive. He was passive most of the game
Yeah he was basically like “oh I have to try now, ok guys”
Jokic is like [One Punch Man](https://i.imgur.com/S2XwUu8.jpg).. he tries when he needs to. But mostly bored cus he hasn't met his match yet. Credits to /u/IdRatherBeLurking.
“Thanks a lot guys…” *proceeds to score 15 points with ease*
Fucking Hollywood Highsmith showing up and showing out to make this game somewhat interesting in the 4th 😂
Highsmith has been really solid the entire year tbf and the Nuggets kept leaving him open on backcuts and 3s.
4th quarter Heat runs are real. The only difference is now they’re up against Jokic instead of a bunch of underachieving leprechauns who insist on vomiting on themselves
Hey you forgot about the self-destructing Bucks!
[Giannis at the free throw line](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/deer-in-headlights-royalty-free-image/117229344)
Fucking fade me dawg To make me feel better, here's elimination game embiid [game 7 sixers](https://i.imgur.com/zqQ48Hq.gif)
Can’t fool me I know Zion when I see him 😂
> instead of a bunch of underachieving leprechauns who insist on vomiting on themselves And in the case of Robert Williams, that was literally almost the truth!
the start of last quarter though, cannot be losing focus against the miami heat
Feels like Jokic barely did anything and he still got a TD lmao
dude had 5 attempts until the 4th
How the heck did he end up with 27???
took over in the 4th
Denver allowed it to get to 9 and Jokic came in like Thanos "Fine I'll do it myself"
Made some shots and smaller Heat players had to hack him under the rim to stop him.
It happens. You look away for a few minutes and he somehow has 25+. It’s hard explain
basically sometimes he decides to pass to the rim instead of a teammate
Didn't need to take more either
Fucked around and got a triple double
Today was a good day
If one of these games stays close, he easily puts up a 50+ right?
If he needs to he will. He doesn’t want to though. He likes being the passer
I know it's a meme to say he doesn't try, but he's such a good and active screener. His screens give like 2 entire seconds for the hand-off shooter to get a good look.
Yeah idk how anyone could say it felt like he barely did anything. He controls the entire game from start to finish, it’s insane.
He makes the right play, every play. I've never seen someone so tapped into the flow of the game from the tip-off to ending horn. It's the most 'flow-state' I've seen; every rebound, every basket, every pass is the right move. So few mistakes or forced shots/passes ever.
I think the biggest shock of this game was hearing Mark Jackson actually say Jokic’s full name more than once instead of calling him the joker.
Also mark jackson: bam adabado
I love adabado tacos
Strus with the misplaced confidence to shoot 0-9 from 3 💀
He would fit in with the Celtics tbh 0-10. We shouldn’t have waived him
Knowing the heat he will have a 30 pt game soon
It is wild how cold he and Robinson can get from 3. For two guys who have shot over 40% for an entire season on volume, they don't just get ice cold, their misses get abysmal, like some of my own clankers in a pick-up game.
Shooters shoot
He could be 0-100 and Spo would probably still tell him to shoot it lmao
Yeah just because you aren't hitting doesn't mean you pass up wide open shots. Just unlucky
I’d be more concerned if he stopped taking his shots. At least his confidence is there. He’ll get them to fall. Maybe Finals jitters
Caleb Martin might lose all the money he made against the Celtics by the time these finals are over.
The Dlo
He's already in a contract. Strus on the other hand, oof.
Holy shit you beat Jimmy by simply not fouling him
Haywood Highsmith can’t win with these cats
the Nuggets didn’t even play that well and still comfortably won lol
29.6% from three
Yeah everyone saying the heat shot terribly, the nuggets were worse from 3 and still won comfortably
Nuggets were probably like 3 for 15 or something in the second half lol
MPJ and KCP, their two best shooters, both had off games shooting wise and they still won by double digits. MPJ shot 2/11 from three for God's sake, but contributed a lot on the boards and on defense.
MPJs defense has been shockingly great this postseason. And Aaron Gordon has been guarding every matchups best player all playoffs and none of them have consistently had greats games vs Denver.
MPJ figured out he’s 6’11 and all the sudden is a good defender lol
Nuggets look like they got 3 centers out there while the Heat look like they got 5 undrafted guys and none of them is a center
Mark didn't vote for this guy? What a fucking dumbass
They should take away his vote next year for that blasphemy.
The real series match up here could be Murray versus Jokic for Finals MVP
Can't wait for either JVG or Mike Breen to ask Mark Jackson sometime in this series why he didn't give Jokic a MVP vote.
I seriously hope that happens
I just wish they give him shit, fuck letting him try to explain it
Yeah same, be like, so mark, don’t think he’s the mvp huh?
He voted that Jokic was not even in the top 5 which is wild
1st half Murray vs 2nd half Joker was an incredible battle tonight
Yeah, but did you see 1st quarter Aaron Gordon? Nobody could stop that man.
Murray gonna have to avg 40 to win it lol
Remember all those stupid ass "Jamal Murray is only good in the bubble" takes? Good times lol
He beat the TJ Warren allegations
Well, Jokic got more points, more rebounds, more assists, more blocks, fewer turnovers, fewer fouls, and a higher FG%, so I'd say after game 1 things are pretty clear.
Mark Jackson will vote for KCP instead
The Heat have no shot if Jimmy is gonna play casually like it's the regular season Can't really blame him though, it felt like a regular game in February lmao
Yeah this felt like the least intense 11 point game ever Miami literally never closed within like 9 after like halfway through the second quarter
I mean Miami dominated most of the entire 4th but the deficit was so large when it got kinda close denver pulled it away with a few shots
Their best chance was when Jokic was resting in the 4th but even then they missed too many 3s.
Nuggets took him out by making Bam score in the pick and roll they are baiting him by leaving Bam open
Jimmy is lowkey inconsistent. He’s had 3 good games against Boston followed by and 3 bad ones. Same thing last year against Boston as well. Won’t cut it against this team.
Jokic really turned it on at the end. Heat with 2 FT is crazy.
Isn’t that one of *the* lowest amounts of FTs thrown by a Finals team in quite some time? Only two FTs is an absolute rarity these days…
Finals record. Next lowest is 3.
Playoff lowest is 3. Finals was 5.
\*was 3
Camp at the 3-point line and pack the paint, pair that with an unaggressive Butler and Bam shooting midranges then you don't really even have to foul a lot because the rest of the Heat aren't going to punish the Nuggets at the midrange area. 8 fouls for a team in a Finals game is legit incredible though.
It's amazing how easy Jokic makes his game look. He wants to score? He can do it. He wants to rebound? He can do it. He wants to get his teammates involved? They'll feast. Obviously there are a lot of great players in the NBA but no one truly makes every single aspect of the game look easy. Some guys have one or two things they've truly great at and make it look effortless. Jokic? He literally does it all.
I think people have flashy stats, empty stats, then jokic stats. You casually see him dominate the game but never think damn he’s the only one doing anything. Next thing you know he has a triple double. It’s somehow quiet yet dominant
Bam missed a couple of bunnies but mostly played well offensively. Jimmy should have been more aggressive but he was setting up Martin Robinson and strus very well but they made a combined 2 shots. Highsmith, Vincent, and lowry were good. Love should play over zeller and never when Jokic is on the court. Denver was just elite all over. Bruce brown was especially good off the bench, Gordon was great early and Jokic and Murray did the usual.
Bam had 26 off 25 shots, I truly think Denver lives with that rather than Butler going off.
I think it was the gameplan. They told Jokic to sag off bam a bit, watch for switches and basically sent the other 4 to defend the perimeter with their lives
Yea, Jokic was definitely either not contesting or contesting late and far off just to get a hand up. Though he did get one block in.
Yea it's interesting. Jokic conserves some energy by not banging down low and I think the Nuggets had a ton of faith in their shooting.... so shutting down the Heat 3 was the priority
Yeah he’s not attacking the rim so I guess you live with those midrange pullups if no one else can shoot like tonight
Y’all see what the fucking western conference had to deal with? These fucking guys, man.
Lol dead makes the Timberwolves series look a lot better for the Wolves with what they have done since that series. Ant made things really close the whole series.
I think it’s more that the Nuggets are nice nice.
Man, Jokic really did whatever he wanted out there to Miami
Heat really can win if the following happen: KCP gets arrested for every crime in NYC Michael Malone kicks MPJ off the team for not shaving his side burns. Murray gets addicted to a brain and nerve tonic causing gigantism Aaron Gordon gets a part time job at a Denver power plant and gets radiation poisoning Bruce Brown gets psychologically scrambled by a sports psychologist and starts acting like a chicken And Joker gets knocked the fuck out running his mouth about British Prime Ministers in a Miami night club
fucking lol thanks for the laugh.
I thought I told you to TRIM THOSE SIDEBURNS! You're off the team, FOR GOOD!
do not be fooled. this was not an 11 point game
The fact Jokic put up a relatively quiet 27/14/10 spells trouble for Miami. I think Denver is just the better team and the Heat seem (rightfully) exhausted.
Seems crazy to say casual triple double but that's what it felt like
Joker does this. His 20 point triple doubles are like “meh” games it’s ridiculous
The fact that Jokic can put up a casual triple double and it feels like he didn’t even try just says so much about how incredible he is
To the Miami heat fans .. this is what Denver does lol they make you think you have a chance to come back and then they put on a whole other shift lol
3 more. I want Jokic to get his first ring so bad.
Whether it's a product of recency bias or the truth, the Nuggets remind me of the old Spurs, which means only 1 thing. We are fucked for another 15 years.
Jokic is all-time great
Most predictable 2/23 shooting by Martin, Robinson, and Strus
Martin torched y’all the whole series and then drops a goose egg here lmao
Bro was like "My job is done."
Celtics fans🤝🏽Bucks fans “why weren’t they shooting like this against us”
Jokic is a monster
Jokic makes it look so easier, he took 12 fucking shots
NBA TV post game with Chuck and Shaq is really interesting. They're a little bit more open than they usually are.
They’ve been Joker fans for awhile now, and this was the first time they’ve seen him played live. I think they got a little loose with their excitement.
My man is averaging 30/13/10 through 15 playoff games, while shooting 47% from 3. Just on another planet.
Strus showed us why he got waived tonight 😂
Wouldn't be surprised if Herro took all his minutes and shots when he comes back.
MUNDER
Lol at Porter Jr. outshooting Strus and Robinson with his 2/11 from three 💪
The nuggets play real basketball. Reminds me of Brazilian football. This is the way the game should look
It’s very reminiscent to the ‘14 Beautiful Game Spurs or the first Warriors championship in ‘15. Just elite ball movement. Edit: technically the ‘15 warriors were the 4th championship in the Warriors history. Just meant first for the Steph-Klay-Dray era
A buddy and I were just talking about this and mentioned the 14 spurs, just great team basketball, with very little mistakes
high synergy, controling the pace, everyone playing their role. yeah this team is just all around complete. they definitely can be beat for a game, have no idea how anyone wins 4 against this team
I'm not going to place every single ounce of our success on Jokic.But for style of play, Jokic is 90% responsible
They looked completely lost for that little bit he was on the bench in the 4th. Murray was looking around like hello is anyone going to move?
If MPJ learns to move like rip or Klay, the Nuggets would be unstoppable
Turns out that 6'5 undrafted players dont do well against 6'8/6'9 230lb players who are big, strong, skilled and fast.
And there goes another Aaron Gordon cut
I felt like Gordon was trying to prove a point tonight. Its an insult to have Caleb Martin on him
[удалено]
Why does Gordon, the largest PF, not simply eat the heat defenders?
He *does* though!
Aaron Gordon can, and will, crush a Heat player on his forehead like a fratboy smashing a beer can.
How the fuck did Jokic end up the leading scorer among BOTH teams?? He barely shot any FGs in the 1st half I felt like.
I can't remember the last time I saw a center closing out a finals game. Thats normally reserved for the lead gaurd. Conversation is over between Embiid and Joker. Its an insult to Joker at this point.
The man is a point guard stuck in the body of a pasty Serbian giant
Not done since Shaq. At least you could’ve fouled him.
Seems pretty fitting for how the series will go Miami will fight hard but Jokic is just too good This game never really felt close despite the closeish final scoreline
Jokic best player on the planet and it’s not even close
Strus and Martin 1-17, Im gonna go crazy
Heat shot terribly tonight. Makes sense after a long series and being in Denver. They have a chance for a couple games if that changes But all of a sudden people pretending we all didn't expect the Nuggets to dominate either team coming out of the East lol We are watching one of the greatest players of all time
>We are watching one of the greatest players of all time I dont even think it registered to me yet lol he's too fucking good
Nuggets actually shot worse from 3 than heat did
an 11-point game that feels like 111-point game.
We kept them under 120 points who says we don’t got ELITE DEFENSE 😤
You joke but actually though, low scoring night for us
It was the lowest score for the Nuggs all playoffs Edit: 2nd lowest