This has been a banner 12 months for Denver Nuggets celebrity middle Nikola Jokic.
He almost averaged a triple-double and got here near successful his third straight regular-season MVP award whereas main his group to one of the best file within the Western Convention, and he’s now three wins away from his first-ever NBA championship.
He’s already by far the chief in playoff triple-doubles this 12 months, as he has thrice as many as everybody else mixed, per StatMuse.
Most triple-doubles this playoffs:
9 — Nikola Jokic
3 — Everybody else mixed pic.twitter.com/Bdn5GUPO4b— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 6, 2023
The Serbian native is definitely averaging a triple-double within the postseason thus far with 30.4 factors, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per recreation whereas capturing 54.5 % general and 46.9 % from 3-point vary.
The Nuggets opened the NBA Finals as sizable favorites towards the Miami Warmth, however now they discover themselves with a 1-1 collection tie heading to Miami for the following two video games.
Jokic had a triple-double of 27 factors, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists in Sport 1, however the Warmth had been capable of maintain him to only 4 assists in Sport 2 on Sunday.
The gameplan towards Jokic appears to be to restrict his assists and make him right into a quantity scorer, and it labored, as he scored 41 factors on Sunday, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient, as Miami gained by three factors.
The middle is simply beginning to get the popularity he deserves, and a few are beginning to discuss him as one of many higher gamers in NBA historical past.
If he’s to validate that opinion, he should lead the Nuggets to a few extra wins on this collection earlier than it ends.
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Nikola Jokic Is Again Atop The NBA In Enjoyable Class