Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets got one step closer to advancing in the NBA playoffs on Thursday night as they took down the Los Angeles Lakers on the road in game three. The Lakers have been competitive in every game, but they haven't gotten a win. The Nuggets lead the series 3-0. Jokic is one of the best players in the NBA right now, and he is trying to add some more accolades to his resume this postseason.
The Nuggets beat the Lakers 112-105 on Thursday night and Nikola Jokic once again had a good game. He finished with 24 points on 9-13 shooting and he added 15 rebounds and nine assists. Denver won it all last season and they are now looking to defend their title. After Thursday's win, they are just one win away from advancing to the next round.
In the NBA, there is always debate about who the best player in the league is. Nikola Jokic is definitely up there in the conversation right now, but there is more of a debate in regards to where he lands among the greatest players of all time. Bill Simmons recently touched on the debate on The Bill Simmons Podcast, and he compared Jokic to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. That is some elite company.
“Denver always keeps their structure, they never get fazed, they never play at a different speed, they’re always just like ‘we’re the Nuggets we’re going to figure this out,'” Simmons said. “They have one of the biggest game breakers in the history of the sport. To me he’s on the Bird, Magic level at this point, now it’s just about padding the resume and getting the actual resume to where those guys are, but I don’t see much difference from impact between him and those two.”
Jokic has a chance to improve that resume this offseason. The Nuggets are once again one of the best teams in the NBA and they are looking good in their first playoff series. Another ring would definitely give Jokic's resume a boost.
Will the Nuggets win it all?
The Nuggets are trying to win back-to-back NBA championships, but it isn't going to be the easy. They have the second best odds to win it all behind the Boston Celtics, who had far and away the best record league this year, but Denver isn't even the one seed in the West. The Western Conference was extremely competitive this season, and there are going to be a lot of tough teams in Denver's way.
One edge that the Nuggets do have over their competition in the West is the fact that they have Nikola Jokic. He is difficult for teams to stop and he is a huge reason for their success. Another factor in play is their playoff run last season. This team is experienced in the postseason and they know how to win on the biggest stage. That goes a long way this time of year.
The Nuggets are close to advancing to the next round and they will move on, barring a historic comeback from the Lakers. It will be exciting to watch this team on their hunt for another championship.
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