Nikola Jokic, the future cornerstone of the Denver Nuggets and a seven-foot-long man from Serbia, has been in the league for four seasons and finally got over the gloom of missing out on the playoffs last season. Together with his happy partners Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton and others In one fell swoop, they advanced to the playoffs for the first time in the 2018-19 season. At present, he only has two rounds of experience, but he reached the tiebreaker in both of them, accumulating 14 games.
Jokic, who is already quite versatile in the season, has no stage fright in the playoffs. Double-10s are already commonplace, and the three-pointer in succession is even more amazing. What is even more frightening is that the player weighs as much as 250 pounds (about 113 kilograms). His physical fitness is even stronger than expected. After all, how many classic battles has he had since his appearance in the playoffs? Let’s review the Serbian behemoth’s playoff performance:
獨角獸之王！Nikola Jokic 例行賽賽季經典戰役/紀錄/數據
Table of Contents
First 50-point, 10-assist center in playoff history
- season：2022-23 季後賽第二輪 R2G4
- result:Nugget 124:129 Sun
- data:53 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, FG 20-30
This was a typical offensive battle. The Suns' double guns Kevin Durant and Devin Booker scored 36 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists respectively. Although the Nuggets had Jokic who scored 53 points, Jamal Murray He also scored 28 points, but Landry Shamet scored 4 three-pointers at the decisive moment, coupled with Jokic's key mistakes, allowing the Suns to tie the series.
According to statistics from the US media, Jokic has become another center player after Chamberlain who can score more than 50 points in the playoffs. He has also become the first center in history to score at least 50 points and 10 assists in the playoffs.
God-level big three yuan breaks historical record
- season: 2020-21 Second Round of Playoffs R2G3
- result:Nugget 102:116 Sun
- data:32 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists
Although Nikola Jokic did his best, the Nuggets were mercilessly beaten by the Suns on both offense and defense. Although they caught up with the game many times, the Suns, led by Chris Paul and Devin Booker, repeatedly widened the gap. Even if Jokic turned in god-level statistics, he could only Support the head and call the minister.
Jokic became the third player in NBA history to score 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in the playoffs. The first two were Wilton Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The clown's all-around show entered the "188" club in the first round
- season: 2020-21 playoff second round R1
- result:Nuggets 4 : 2 Pioneers
- data:33 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists
In the 2020-21 playoffs, the Golden Nuggets are missing their top scorer Jamal Murray and can only rely on ace star Nikola Jokic to carry the team.
In the first round, they faced the Trail Blazers led by Damian Lillard. They were shot several times by Lillard at critical moments and seemed to be losing the game. However, they relied on Jokic's stable output inside and outside to stabilize the team. Although the Trail Blazers let him hold the ball in singles, The strategy of not allowing him to connect the team was quite effective. Although the 4.5 assists per game were far lower than the 8.3 in the regular season, he also seized the opportunity to hit the Blazers' penalty area, especially averaging 37 points in the key two games. Teammates also had great work to close the door successfully for the Golden Nuggets.
In the series, Jokic's shooting percentage was as high as 53%, 3-point shooting percentage was 43%, and free throw percentage was 92%. The total of the three shooting percentages was as high as 188, joining the "188 Club". Scored more than 30 points in 5 of the 6 games in the first round, setting a franchise record for the Nuggets. He has scored 30 points in the playoffs 13 times in his career, making him the second person in team history.
Fighting to the death and bombarding the Three Elements
- season：2019-20 Second Round of Playoffs G7
- result:Nugget 104: 89 Speedboat
- data:16 points, 22 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Starting from 1-3 down in two consecutive rounds, Jokic had to play 7 games in the playoffs until this series. The Nuggets came back to win the first two games, and this game was no exception. In the second quarter Once trailing by 12 points, Jamal Murray scored 20 points in a single quarter to catch up to the remaining two points.
In the second half, the Nuggets became more and more courageous, with Jokic firing on all cylinders. Although Jokic scored mediocrely in this game, he became an important offensive and defensive core of the Nuggets. In addition, the Clippers' entire firepower was at a loss. The former only scored 14 points on 6 of 22 shots. The latter was even worse, scoring only 10 points on 4 of 16 shots. The Clippers only scored 30 points in the second half and even 12 points in the fourth quarter, allowing the Nuggets to open up the game in the later stages and complete counterattacks in two consecutive series.
Jokic also became the player in NBA history to score 20 rebounds and triple points in Game 7, and the Golden Nuggets also became the first team in NBA history to advance from 1-3 in two consecutive games.
winning hook shot
- season: 2019-20 playoff first round G7
- result:Nugget 80:78 Jazz
- data:30 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, FG 12-23
The Jazz and the Golden Nuggets fought fiercely from the first round of the 2019-20 playoffs to Game 7. The Golden Nuggets chased from a 1-3 deficit to the decisive battle. Jamal Murray, who had exploded with firepower in the previous few games, seemed to be exhausted. The whole team The field goal percentage was less than 40%, and the three-point field goal percentage was only 25.8%. Fortunately, Nikola Jokic stepped up in this battle and scored 9 points in the fourth quarter, and made the winning shot when the game was tied in the last 30 seconds. With a hook shot, Jokic led the Nuggets to a ticket to the second round. Jokic set the second-highest score in the Game 7 in team history.
Although the focus of this series is on the ultimate confrontation between Murray and Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic still averaged 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 0.6 steals per game under the supervision of two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. With a % shooting percentage of 45.9, the Golden Nugget has a 10% difference in offensive efficiency compared to him on the court. It can be said that the Golden Nugget is the most stable force in a fierce battle.
The fight between trapped beasts
- season: 2018-19 playoff first round G6
- result:Nuggets 103:120 Spurs
- data:43 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
After the first five games of the first round, the Golden Nuggets had a 3-2 advantage, and in the battle of Tianwangshan, they defeated the Spurs with an 18-point deficit. Just when everyone thought the Spurs were exhausted, they once again used an amazing strategy to win unexpectedly: guard the outside line of the Nugget and let Jokic play in singles.
This move has indeed paid off. The entire Golden Nuggets team's three-point shooting percentage is only 25%. Even though Jokic is chasing points like crazy and using all his special skills, he still can't catch up with the home court where the shooting percentage and state are much better. Spurs.
However, Jokic is indeed a terrible offensive weapon. One-on-one defense cannot stop him at all. He can make smooth throws, roll down in the low post, sway his feet, and shoot three-pointers. The two-person team even maximizes the threat of the pick-and-roll. The Spurs couldn't stop him in every game. The "Joker" scored 43 points on 19-of-30 shooting -- certainly a career high.
perfect ending
- season: 2018-19 playoff first round G7
- result:Spurs 86:90 Gold Nuggets
- data:21 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Returning to the struggle with the Golden Nuggets and Spurs in the first round, Game 7 returned to the Golden Nuggets' home court, and the two teams were still inseparable. The most critical battle is also the best catalyst for the birth of a superstar. Jokic turned into a clown with a thousand faces, coldly and unhurriedly scoring points easily time and time again, and even shattered the Spurs' hopes of catching up with multiple passes.
He scored 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming the sixth three-point player in the history of the playoffs to make no mistakes. He was also the first player in the series in 31 years since James Worthy in the 1988 championship game against the Los Angeles Lakers. A player with a big three-point performance in seven games.
The most fatal goal came in the last 36.8 seconds of the game. Jokic passed a pass to Murray and the assist was priceless. It not only completed the final puzzle of the big three, but also helped the Nuggets to open up a 4-point gap again and successfully advance to the second round. !
Bloody battle of wills
- season: 2018-19 playoff second round G3
- result:Gold Nugget 137:140 Pioneers (4OT)
- data:33 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
"Nikola Jokic is our ace. When he's on the court, the Nuggets are at their best. I didn't expect the game to go to four extensions. I apologized to him and he didn't complain. "
——Mike Malone (Denver Nuggets head coach)
This game will be a classic battle recorded in history. The Golden Nuggets were away at the home court of the Trail Blazers. Two teams that were close in strength were inseparable. The two teams went back and forth, and each had its own chance to win, but no one could jump out and make the final decision. This four-point bloody battle was also the first since 1953 (the Celtics defeated the Syracuse Nationals 111:105). The two teams also set a number of records - most of which were related to the playing time.
Nikola Jokic played a full 65 minutes, which was not only the highest in the game, but also the fourth-longest playing time in NBA history. In addition, his 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists are unrivaled in history, and he ranks 20th in history with 30+ triples. But the most incredible thing is that he weighs 250 pounds. With his body shape, he was able to play on the court for more than an hour... There were also many smiley changes after the game, both mocking and praising his amazing physical strength.
However, success is also a "Joker", and failure is also a "Joker". In this game, after the golden nugget Rodney Hood jumped out at 4OT, Jokic immediately caused the defender to foul and received two free throws. Perhaps because of his lack of physical strength, he missed the first free throw, which indirectly announced the Golden Nuggets' fate of losing. However, if he makes both free throws, the two teams may continue to extend the game for five more times. Just imagining it makes me feel that this physical hell is more terrifying than losing to the Golden Nuggets...
The eponymous monster
- season: 2018-19 playoff second round G4
- result:Nugget 116:112 Pioneers
- data:21 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals
This game is of great significance. After 11 consecutive games with the Spurs and Trail Blazers, Jokic has accumulated up to 4 triples in a single playoff game, becoming the seventh person in history. The top 6 people ahead of him are Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Jason Kidd. Well...basically, a Hall of Fame lineup...
The record is not over yet. Together with the previous game, Jokic sent out three triples in two consecutive games, which is also seventh in history. The top six are: Russell Westbrook (3 consecutive games), Kidd (2 times), Baron Davis, Fat Lever, Blake Griffin and Magic Johnson.
Not to mention that before this game, the Golden Nuggets and Trail Blazers had a historic marathon battle. Jokic's physical fitness and morale were greatly affected, and he was in a situation where he was almost unable to retreat (losing would mean 1 win and 3 losses). ), the powerful performance of TP3T with a hit rate of 531 is truly worthy of the title of "modern mythical beast"! And this is just the beginning of his playoff career...
Return with regret
- season: 2018-19 Second Round of Playoffs G7
- result: Pioneer 100:96 Gold Nugget
- data:29 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks
For the second consecutive round of the series, the Golden Nuggets showed great momentum in the first quarter at home. Jokic caught the Trail Blazers off guard with heavy outside artillery for two consecutive quarters in the first quarter. In addition, Gary Harris forced several points. The team had a 15-point lead at the start of the game, and victory was already within reach.
However, the Trail Blazers are indeed a strong team with many years of playoff experience. The team rushed to catch up in the second half. At this time, the outside firepower that the Nuggets relied on completely stalled, and they could only rely on the bad battle between the penalty area penalty and Jokic; in the fourth quarter, Relying on CJ McCollum's explosion, the Trail Blazers finally overtook the score. However, the Golden Nuggets' three-pointer was unable to wake up. They could only rely on Jokic's low singles and Jamal Murray's cutting destructive power to barely hold on to the score.
In the last half minute of the game, Murray hit a key mid-range shot to narrow the deficit to one point; however, McCollum once again played the hero and responded with a jumper. With 11 seconds left and a three-point deficit, Jokic was about to get the buzzer in the penalty area. However, perhaps due to the shadow of Game 3, he missed the crucial first free throw again. In the end, because of this one-point difference, the Trail Blazers received an intentional foul. Later, the point difference was reduced to four points, and the Golden Nuggets were unable to recover, and the playoff journey that had lasted for many years also came to an end.
Although he was eliminated with regret, the 14 playoff games played in two full rounds are definitely full of growth nutrients for this all-around behemoth who has just started his career. This is just the beginning of the story. The Serbian tanks who left unwillingly will lead this group of young ax gangs to come back stronger next year...
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