Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is the first center to record 10-plus assists in an NBA Finals game in over 45 years, per StatMuse.
The Joker had 14 assists in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.
The Nuggets beat the Heat by 11 points to take a 1-0 lead in the Finals. Jokic had 27 points and 10 rebounds to go along with his 14 assists. The two-time MVP shot 8-of-12 from the field, 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic & Denver Nuggets Updates
Jokic is averaging a triple-double in the 2023 playoffs. The five-time All-Star is putting up 29.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game.
“That’s how I learned to play basketball, and I think it’s really nice to play — it’s really hard to guard when you don’t know who’s going to attack and how to defend when everybody is moving, everybody is doing something,” Jokic said after Game 1. “I think it’s a really nice brand of basketball that we have, and everybody buys in. I’m not sure that I did that for us or whatever, but I think everybody contributed and everybody accepted it.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic & Denver Nuggets Updates
The Nuggets are three wins away from winning their first championship in franchise history. Game 2 of this series is on Sunday, June 4.
“I mean to be honest, I couldn’t wait to start just because when the game started, it felt normal,” Jokic said. “Everything else didn’t feel — felt normal, and the whole media day yesterday or the day before, it was — I think people are making something bigger than it is. When the game started, I felt really comfortable.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic & Denver Nuggets Updates
Jokic will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day even if he doesn’t win a title. However, the All-NBA big man didn’t come this far to lose to the Heat. With that said, expect the Nuggets to be even more focused in Game 2.
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