Nuggets’ Jokic After Game 3 Struggles: ‘I Was The Worst Player On The Court’

Nikola Jokic may have played his worst playoff game in the Denver Nuggets’ thrilling 113-104 overtime Game 3 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The three-time MVP finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks but shot just 8-for-25 from the field. That includes an abysmal 0-for-10 from three and he also turned the ball over eight times.

It is the first time in NBA regular season and playoff history that a player has missed at least 10 three-pointers and turned the ball over at least eight times. Not quite what one expects from an MVP-caliber player.

“They’re aggressive, they’re physical, they’re handsy, they play the passing lanes,” Jokic said after the game. “I mean, I don’t know what they’re doing because if I did I probably won’t do those kind of mistakes. I need to figure out what they are doing.

“Basically, I was the worst player on the court today but we won the game and that’s the most important.”

Denver will certainly feel good about the fact that Jokic played as poorly as he did and it was still able to come away with the victory.

The supporting cast came through in a big way as each of Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. scored at least 20 points. Christian Braun did a really good job defensively on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while Peyton Watson had important contributions off the bench.

Is Jokic’s Regular Season Load Taking A Toll?

The Serbian superstar has had arguably the greatest regular season in league history. He averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and shot 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Those are beyond video game numbers.

Murray and Gordon both spent time on the shelf during the regular season. Gordon was absent for 31 regular season games while Murray missed 15. Even when Murray did play, there were many occasions where he looked a shell of his former self.

One has to wonder if the added toll on Jokic during that time is making him weary now.

He had a couple of poor games against the Los Angeles Clippers as well and has now shot 14-for-41 (34.1 percent) in the last two games against the Thunder.

What is perhaps the most alarming aspect of Jokic’s game right now is the increased frequency of bad decisions. A tired mind and body can certainly contribute to that.

Another obvious and perhaps simpler reasoning is that the Clippers and Thunder are both excellent defensive teams. The playoffs allow for a level of preparation the regular season doesn’t and these teams have done well to pose real problems for Jokic.

Still, Jokic is no stranger to the postseason and has regularly taken his game up a notch. Game 1 of this series when he finished with 42 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists was a prime example. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time till it all clicks into gear consistently.

As long as the wins keep coming, the Nuggets won’t be too concerned.