Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has made it clear – he's not planning on ducking any opponent, not even if that's LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Play-In games have the entire NBA universe scrambling to figure out seeding possibilities. With just a couple of games left in the season, you'd think matters would nearly be settled. But entering the final weekend, it's far from it towards the bottom of the Western Conference playoff bracket.
But one thing's for certain, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets could very well control their own destiny. Their final game of the season is against the sixth seed Portland Trail Blazers, the Nuggets' current head-to-head matchup if the season ended today. If the Lakers manage to win both their games to end the season, how Jokic and the Nuggets perform against the Blazers could determine who they end up facing.
Losing to Portland all but assures that they would dodge the Lakers in the first round. However, Nikola Jokic made it clear that the team isn't even remotely thinking about that, per report from The Denver Post's Mike Singer.
Nikola Jokic has said #Nuggets aren't ducking anyone. He's played in every game so far, including tonight. He's going to want to play, therefore win, on Sunday. There's something to be said for not playing scared going into a series. Imagine LAL facing whoever tried to duck them.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) May 15, 2021
Spoken like a true MVP.
Nikola Jokic hasn't missed a single game this year, driving his team throughout every contest as the season's leading MVP candidate. You better believe Jokic's firm stand isn't just lip service. He's not going to back down from a first-round date with LeBron James and the Lakers.
As things stand, there are a host of different little wrinkles that could influence the standings still. The result of the Los Angeles Clippers in their last game and whether or not the Lakers win their final game on the road are still up in the air.
But one thing's for certain, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets aren't ducking anybody.
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