During much of the Nikola Jokić era, the Denver Nuggets` success has heavily relied on their three-time MVP delivering exceptional, almost historic performances consistently. He frequently averages close to a triple-double throughout seasons, demonstrating not just his immense skill, but also the team`s reliance on his scoring, passing, and rebounding. Typically, when Jokić has a poor game, the Nuggets tend to lose.
Statistics consistently show that he must play nearly continuously, as the team`s offense collapses significantly when he`s off the court. This season, the Nuggets` offensive rating improves by 22.4 points per 100 possessions with Jokić playing compared to when he rests – the largest difference of his career. Essentially, the Nuggets struggle offensively without Jokić, while transforming into a championship-caliber unit when he`s active.
However, Friday night`s game unfolded differently. While Jokić scored 20 points, which isn`t inherently low, his shooting efficiency was notably poor, making only 8 of 25 shots. This field goal percentage is remarkably low for the Serbian star, who typically shoots at least 50%. He also missed all 10 of his three-point attempts. Based solely on the box score, one would anticipate a Nuggets loss, given the historical trend of their performance correlating with his efficiency.
Yet, the Nuggets defied this pattern in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite Jokić having one of his career`s least efficient shooting nights, his teammates elevated their game, leading Denver to a 113-104 overtime victory and a 2-1 series advantage.
Following the game, Nuggets coach David Adelman commented, “Our team is truly supporting each other, player by player. Different guys contributed tonight. We put Zeke [Nnaji] in, and he brought good energy. Again, the statistics aren`t everything. Peyton Watson also provided great energy. We just need anyone we put on the court to give that effort, and to do it for their teammate. That`s how you remain competitive in games.”
Jamal Murray was particularly instrumental, especially during the critical late-game moments. He ended with 27 points and eight assists. In overtime, he made three pivotal plays: securing a steal, immediately converting it into a layup at the other end, and then quickly getting another steal to prevent the Thunder from reducing the deficit.
Murray`s dominant performance recalled his first-round game against the Clippers, where he scored 43 points on a night when Jokić also had a difficult game, scoring just 13. The Nuggets won that game as well, but on Friday, they didn`t require such an extreme offensive outburst from Murray because Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. stepped up, scoring 22 and 21 points respectively.
Notably, Gordon hit another crucial shot late in the game. His three-pointer with roughly 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter forced the game into overtime.
This marked the second occasion in this series where Gordon made a critical three-pointer to either tie or win the game, continuing his run of strong playoff displays for Denver.
Michael Porter Jr. delivered arguably his best performance of this postseason, making 5 of 6 attempts from beyond the arc and seemingly unaffected by a left shoulder issue that has bothered him for weeks. His effective three-point shooting helped keep the Nuggets competitive early on, and in overtime, his timely three extended Denver`s lead to five, proving too much for an OKC team struggling to regain momentum.
This was only the fifth instance in the team`s history where four different Nuggets players – namely Jokić, Murray, Gordon, and Porter Jr. – each scored 20 or more points in a playoff game. This particular group of four has now achieved this feat twice.
It`s important to note that while Jokić`s scoring was off, he still significantly influenced the game in other areas. He created opportunities for his teammates, passing to players like Gordon near the basket and kicking out to Porter for threes, in addition to securing 16 rebounds. Even on a poor shooting night, his presence draws considerable defensive attention, which opens up chances for others, and tonight, his teammates successfully capitalized on these openings.
Coach Adelman stated, “Ultimately, [Jokić] just needs to keep shooting. The ball finds him regardless of his performance or efficiency on a given night. I`m sure he`s feeling frustrated. When you`re as incredibly efficient as he is – possibly one of the most efficient athletes in any sport – I understand his frustration. But Game 4 is coming, and he`ll be involved constantly. I hope he continues to shoot whenever the opportunity arises. He will also create chances for others, and his defensive rebounding was highly effective. So, essentially, Nikola remains Nikola.”
This game represented a significant missed chance for the Thunder to capitalize on one of Jokić`s rare poor shooting outings, as he seldom follows a bad game with another. Jokić is likely to approach Game 4 determined to rediscover his offensive form, which underscores the importance of the Nuggets securing this win despite his significant struggles. Historically, this hasn`t often been possible – in fact, it`s been quite rare.
Whether this newfound ability to win despite a Jokić slump is sustainable is yet unknown. However, we`ve now seen it happen in both playoff rounds – his teammates, whether it`s Murray carrying a large load or contributions from players like Gordon and Porter Jr., are capable of compensating when Jokić isn`t at his offensive best. While infrequent, Friday night provided a clear, though rare, demonstration that the Nuggets possess alternative ways to secure a victory even when their star center struggles.
Jasper Hawthorne