The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Malone says Jokic deserves nothing but mad respect
LOS ANGELES >> Nikola Jokic walked off the court in much the same way he entered the Crypto.com Arena. Stoic, locked in, ready to play.
Few would know by the way he looked that Jokic had nearly single-handedly pulled his team from a 15-point first half deficit to sweep the Lakers with a 113-111 victory Monday in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. Or that he had passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the first player to post eight triple doubles in the postseason with his 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists.
Or that the 6-foot-11 Denver Nuggets center had been named MVP of the series or propelled the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals.
It wasn’t until former Nuggets player Timofey Mozgov, who wrapped Jokic in a bear hug as he walked into the tunnel, did the big man allow himself to relax and enjoy the moment. He high-fived wellwishers and shook hands with team staff members as he headed to the locker room to celebrate the history-making moment.
For Jokic, the victory was a collective effort by the entire Nuggets team. Jamal Murray scored 25 points and had five assists, Aaron Gordon added 22 points and six rebounds while the other two starters — Michael Porter Jr. (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Kentavious Caldwellpope (13 points) contributed to the victory.
But it was a handful of key shots by Jokic in the fourth quarter that lifted the Nuggets past the Lakers, who behind Lebron James’ 31 first-half points grabbed a 15-point lead in the first 24 minutes. Jokic struggled early on, scoring just 10 points before turning up his game.
The Serbian big man, despite five fouls, delivered big shot after big shot in the final quarter whenever Denver needed a basket. The Lakers erased a seven-point Nuggets lead and tied it with five minutes to play before Jokic heaved an off-balanced 25-footer to give them back the lead.
But the two-time MVP wasn’t finished. Anthony Davis made two free throws to tie the game 111-111 with 1:13 left. Jokic took the inbounds pass and drove in for a layup and the winning basket with 51 seconds remaining.
James missed a potential game-winner with 1.4 seconds left and a chance to reach the Finals.
“For me, I am comfortable taking those shots. I mean, I just say ‘I think I’m going to take those shots.’ I’m joking,” Jokic said, in a moment of levity.
“I’m just trying to shoot, just trying to score. That kind of was the easier shot because I was wide open. You just find a way to shoot it.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he is never surprised by Jokic.
“For me, he hasn’t proven anything. And why do I say that? Because I already know he’s a great player,” Malone said. “Like when you’re with a guy for eight years, and I think people have short-term memories. He wasn’t this player his first year, his second year. That third year we lost to Minnesota in game 82. He and Jamal both had great games, and we lost in overtime.
“But I think he’s showing other people nationally that he’s real. Like what he’s doing is real. The MVPS are real. The triple-doubles are real. The narratives, the silly narratives this year are just what, silly and somewhat ignorant.
“Nikola has gone through three rounds now where he’s averaging a triple-double in the playoffs. Have you seen any stat padding out there? I’m serious, enough of the silliness.
“The guy is a great player; give him his damn respect. Stop chopping him down at the knees. He’s a great player. Give him the respect he deserves.”