Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the second player with a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, joining Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, who accomplished the feat in the 2002 Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers when he was a member of the New Jersey Nets.
The Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2023 Finals by a final score of 104-93. Jokic put up 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in 40 minutes while shooting 8-of-12 from the field, 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.
“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 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 & Jason Kidd Updates
The Nuggets are looking to win their first championship in franchise history. Jokic, who is averaging a triple-double in the 2023 playoffs, always takes what the defense gives him and doesn’t force anything.
“Yes, exactly. I don’t force it,” Jokic said. “I never force it, I think. It was a couple guys had it going, AG was playing really good, and we had advantage there. I just take whatever the game gives me. … They’re really intelligent. Everybody knows what they are doing. That’s a hard team to beat because they keep playing the same way the whole game, and they’re really, really smart about how they’re doing it.
“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. I think it’s a really nice brand of basketball that we have, and everybody buys in.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets & Jason Kidd Updates
Jokic is averaging 29.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists in the postseason. If the Nuggets beat the Heat, The Joker will likely win the Finals MVP Award.
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