Jokic Resurfaces, But Nuggets on the Brink of Elimination
Nikola Jokic, in a stellar performance that broke a losing streak, was not enough to prevent the Denver Nuggets from approaching elimination from the playoffs.
After three games with poor shooting performance, Jokic regained his dominant form with 44 points in the crucial Game 5. However, the number one seeded Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 112-105 victory, taking the lead in the Western Conference semifinals series.
“Nikola played incredibly,” commented Nuggets interim coach David Adelman. “I think our effort was incredible, but we can play much better. I think it’s on these guys that if we create the open shots that we created tonight, we’ll have games where guys hit shots. … If we can complement 17 of 25, 44 points with some other guys finding a rhythm, we’re very capable of doing special things. And that includes Thursday [in Game 6], and that includes the weekend if we can get back here.”
David Adelman, Nuggets interim coach
Jokic went 17-of-25 from the field in Game 5, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. His final basket was a spectacular version of his signature “Sombor Shuffle” shot, a fadeaway three-pointer over Chet Holmgren’s defense, tying the score with 1:39 remaining.
The Thunder responded with an 8-0 run, while Jokic’s teammates missed three-pointers in the following three possessions. Jokic scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the final quarter, but the rest of the Nuggets combined to score just six points on 1-of-15 shooting, missing all 10 three-point attempts in the final period.
“It’s not that we lost the ball,” Jokic said. “I think we had open shots. We just didn’t score at those moments. I think we had the opportunities we wanted.”
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets player
Jokic, who was coming off a slump in the previous three games, with 33.3% shooting (21 of 63), the worst streak of his career. In Game 5, Jokic scored 29 points on 11 of 12 shooting, with Isaiah Hartenstein as his primary defender. Hartenstein had limited Jokic to 40 points on 14 of 35 shooting in the series.
“He had better legs,” Adelman said. “The jump shot always gets him going. He makes one of those early, and he made the touch shots around the rim that didn’t seem to be falling for him lately, which is surprising because he’s been so good at them for a long time. Once he saw those go in, he just unleashed everything else.”
David Adelman, Nuggets interim coach
Jamal Murray had a 13-point scoring burst in the third quarter but missed nine of his final shots. Murray downplayed Jokic’s shooting streak.
“I don’t even think it’s his fault for missing some tough shots that he’s been making his whole career,” Murray said, who finished with 28 points on 10-of-27 shooting. “I don’t think that’s fair.
Jamal Murray, Nuggets player
Jokic also finished with 15 rebounds and 5 assists, playing 44 minutes. He became the first player in NBA history to record multiple performances of 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a single series.
The Nuggets are confident that Jokic can repeat his production in Game 6, and that the other Denver players can do their part to extend the series.
