After his Game 1 triple-double, Nikola Jokic blacked out the stats line again in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Heat. Sunday evening, he compiled 41 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, 16/28 in shooting! A very high level offensive performance which unfortunately did not prevent the defeat of the Nuggets (111-108).
Nikola Jokic therefore distributed only 4 assists in this Game 2, against 14 during the first confrontation. This is his lowest total in these playoffs.
” I don’t know “ replied Nikola Jokic, in relation to the impact of the Heat’s defense on his number of assists. “I’m not thinking about assists or anything else. I was playing, and I don’t think I’m playing for the stats or anything.”.
As he explained after Game 1, Nikola Jokic does according to what the opposing defense gives him. When the Nuggets have good matchups, cuts are sharp and surprise opponents, the double MVP likes to reward his teammates. For the Heat, the objective was therefore above all to limit these options, by being more solid and concentrated defensively, in order to limit the “contagious” passes from the Serb.
From the start, Miami therefore closed Nikola Jokic’s passing solutions as much as possible during this Game 2. Which logically pushes the double MVP to be more aggressive in terms of scoring.
Three defeats in these playoffs when he exceeds 40 points
We also know that a “scorer” Nikola Jokic is not necessarily good news for the Nuggets. Denver is indeed at its best when danger is everywhere. When the double MVP must take things in hand in terms of points, it is because the other options are well contained. The proof ? During these playoffs, the Colorado squad lost the three games in which Nikola Jokic passed 40 points…
The record of the Nuggets on the 14 meetings where he did not reach this bar? 13 victories for only one defeat!
However, Erik Spoelstra was annoyed (as rarely) in a press conference when Ramona Shelburne, of ESPN, asked him if the Heat had not tried to make Nikola Jokic a scorer, so that he does not control not the match like in Game 1. The journalist had however admitted that it was “simplifying”…
” It’s ridiculous “ reacted Erik Spoelstra. “It’s the untrained eye that says something like that. This guy is an amazing player. Twice in two seasons he was the best player on the planet. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, make it a scorer. That’s not how they play. They have so many different actions that get you in trouble. We have to focus on what we are doing. We try to do things the hard way, and with him, we have to do a lot of things the hard way. He has our full respect.”.
| Nikola Jokic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 80 | 22 | 51.2 | 33.3 | 81.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.0 |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 73 | 28 | 57.8 | 32.4 | 82.5 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 9.8 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 16.7 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 49.9 | 39.6 | 85.0 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 18.5 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 80 | 31 | 51.1 | 30.7 | 82.1 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 20.1 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 73 | 32 | 52.8 | 31.4 | 81.7 | 2.3 | 7.5 | 9.7 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 ★ | DEN | 72 | 35 | 56.6 | 38.8 | 86.8 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 ★ | DEN | 74 | 34 | 58.3 | 33.7 | 81.0 | 2.8 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 27.1 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 69 | 34 | 63.2 | 38.3 | 82.2 | 2.4 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 24.5 |
| Total | 596 | 31 | 55.3 | 34.8 | 82.9 | 2.6 | 7.9 | 10.5 | 6.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 20.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
