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Before Game 1 of his Western Conference semifinals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic explained what makes Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander such an explosive caliber player. While many anticipate a dominant series for Jokic, his counterpart for this year's MVP award won't be easy for the Nuggets to contain, as the top candidates for Most Valuable Player go toe-to-toe in Game 1 on Monday.
Jokic revealed there isn't a defense in the NBA that shuts Gilgeous-Alexander down, which makes the MVP candidate such an elite scorer, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
“He's a very different player,” Jokic said. “He's playing on so many levels, speed, as a scorer. Everything looks so easy for him. Even when you are like, ‘Oh, that's a good defense.' It feels so easy for him, and he's amazing with a change of speed, change of rhythm, ballhandling. He can post up guys, he can go by guys, his shooting at the midrange is unguardable basically. He's a very special player.”
In a rare back-to-back at the Paycom Center, the Nuggets split the games against the Thunder after a 127-103 loss. After the game, Jokic addressed his MVP race with Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I think I'm playing the best basketball of my life. So if that's enough, it's enough,” Jokic said after the Nuggets' 140-127 win over Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder.
“If not, [Gilgeous-Alexander] deserves it. He's really amazing.”
Jokic finished with 35 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists in the Nuggets' win. Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander countered with 25 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
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Nikola Jokic makes triple-double history in Nuggets' series win
After becoming just the third player in NBA history this season to average a triple-double, joining Oscar Robertson and teammate Russell Westbrook, Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic made playoff history in his series against the Clippers. In those six seasons (Westbrook averaged a triple-double in four of them, one for each Jokic and Robertson), Jokic is the first player to win a playoff series in the same year he averaged a triple-double, per WinesburgOhio on Reddit/nba.
Jokic averaged 24.0 points on 50% shooting, 11.6 rebounds, 10.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, carrying the triple-double average into the postseason before eliminating the Clippers 4-3 after the Nuggets' 120-101 victory in Game 7. It's an impressive feat for the league's reigning MVP, facing the top-seeded Thunder team fresh off a week-long rest after sweeping the Grizzlies 4-0 in their opening-round series.
Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals is at the Paycom Center on Monday.
