Finals MVP and NBA champion, Nikola Jokic lost his MVP trophy last season. The Nuggets pivot cares very little about individual rewards, but today he appears to be the big favorite to take his due from Joel Embiid. Especially if he continues to destroy all his opponents as he has been doing since the restart, post All-Star Game.
After accumulating 29 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists against the Wizards, then 21 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists against the Blazers, Nikola Jokic continues this night with a match of 32 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists against the Warriors! This is his 123rd triple-double in the regular season, his 18th of the season and his 139th if we include the playoffs. It's also his third in a row since the restart, and he became the first player in history to grab more than 14 rebounds and distribute more than 14 assists in three games in a row. A real monster!
Increasingly influential in defense
“He is so dominant, and in so many areas… He controlled the entire match” summarizes Steve Kerrwho was able to see that Draymond Green was truly powerless against the double MVP.
Jokic even stood out on defense with four interceptions. As in attack, his reading of the game works wonders to cut the passing lines. Just by his positioning and coverage, he disrupted the Warriors. Particularly on ball exits under the Golden State panel, or on the pick-and-roll in its part of the field. “To concede 103 points in their room is really good” underlines Jokic after the meeting.
In the wake of his pivot, the Nuggets have just scored a third victory in a row. Before the All-Star game was cut off, they had conceded three defeats in a row, and more than his “triple-doubles”, that’s what Jokic remembers. “We lost three games in a row before the All-Star Game, and now we are on three wins in a row. It's basketball: a series sport. In a season, there are good periods and bad periods, and we just wish that the good periods last longer than the bad ones. I think we took the right direction, and that's the most important thing. »
