The Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies are two of the Western Conference's best teams. They also each have one of the toughest centers in the NBA. Nikola Jokic and Steven Adams are both strong and burly bigs, though Jokic also possesses unreal passing and scoring skills.
The two big men squared off as the conference heavyweights faced off in Denver. Jokic got the best of Adams on a few occasions, slipping some slick passes by him in the process, but also poorly tried to sell contact when Adams set a screen. The Grizzlies got the last laugh, winning 122-118. Jokic's triple-double stat line of 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds wasn't enough to take down Memphis and Ja Morant, who scored 38 points.
Jokic discussed Adam's level-headed demeanor and toughness after the Nuggets' loss, as well as his accent.
Asked Nikola about Steven Adams: “I think he’s a great player. He’s the most real player ever. He doesn’t talk that much. We are fighting. It’s a wrestle down there. He’s a strong guy. I like the accent. I think he’s having his own language.”
— Mike Singer (@msinger) January 22, 2022
Althoug Adams isn't a particularly strong defender, he is perfectly built to take on big, slow guys like Jokic. His impressive brute strength didn't allow him to slow down Jokic — defenders of all sizes have problems doing that — but he certainly took the right approach of not letting Jokic get into good positioning in the post.
Jokic, in the midst of another MVP-worthy season, is having a tough time leading the Nuggets to a great record with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Denver is 23-20 and in sixth place in the conference. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are the third seed with a 32-16 record.
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