Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is the unquestioned leader of the Western Conference Champions. His miraculous 3-point heave in the final game of their 4-game sweep of the Lakers all but clinched their final victory. Head coach Michael Malone has given that shot a nickname — The Sombor Sling.
Michael Malone just coined this 3-pointer by Nikola Jokic, “The Sombor Sling.”pic.twitter.com/zD7XxqqjFk
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 26, 2023
Jokic, the 6-11 center who excels at nearly all aspects of the game and is regularly the dominant player on the court, hails from Sombor, Serbia. Hence the nickname given by his coach.
The Nuggets are sitting at home and waiting to see their opponent will be in the NBA Finals. After they swept the Lakers, it appeared they might face an opponent that also swept their opponents. However, the Miami Heat has been unable to capitalize on their 3-0 lead against the Boston Celtics, and they have dropped the last two games in the series.
Instead of thinking about the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Heat is thinking about the Celtics in Game 6.
This gives the Nuggets a chance to get healthy and refreshed as they wait for their opponent in the championship round to be decided. Nikola Jokic and Murray may be anxious to get back on the floor and compete, but a full rest while their opponents continue to spend energy has to be a good thing.
The NBA Finals will get underway June 1, meaning the Nuggets will go 8 days between games. The appearance in the championship round will be their first in team history, and the sweep of the Lakers was their first in team history.
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