Because he lacks remarkable athleticism and frequently looks red in the face, it is easy to misidentify Nikola Jokic as being out of shape. The on-court results say otherwise, though, which is something Draymond Green can attest to after the Denver Nuggets (39-19) defeated the Golden State Warriors (29-27) Sunday night.
The lauded defender was unable to mount effective resistance against the 2023 NBA Finals MVP, as Jokic dominated Green and the Dubs for 32 points (13-of-24 shooting), 16 rebounds and 16 assists. He made no excuses, however.
“Joker's 32 and 16 gave me complete hell tonight,” Green said on his podcast after the Warriors' 119-103 loss. “And I'm just going to laugh about it because either you laugh or you cry, and so I'm going to laugh about it. I had absolutely no answers tonight.”
Golden State entered Sunday playing some of the best basketball in the league, with the 33-year-old doing his part to disrupt opposing offenses. But he had a modest showing in this one, posting seven points, five rebounds and four assists. Although Green has given Jokic fits before, guarding the MVP favorite is a nightmare that almost every player is desperate to escape.
The Nuggets superstar's elite skill is punishing on its own, but his deceptive conditioning is what will probably lift him into the pantheon of elites when his career is all said and done. “I mean he was brilliant and he is in incredible shape,” Draymond Green said. “Y'all should have saw this man running the floor. I had to turn on my my burners a little bit a couple times to keep up with him from running the floor.”
Nikola Jokic never ceases to amaze the basketball world. With his combination of touch, playmaking, rebounding and hustle, the Nuggets could be unimpeded in their quest for a second consecutive championship. The Warriors are not looking to pass any torches, though, and will try to get right back into the win column in Tuesday's road game versus the Washington Wizards.
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