Nikola Jokic didn’t mince words after the Denver Nuggets were handed a 149-106 loss by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series. The defeat tied the series 1-1 and handed Denver one of its worst playoff losses in franchise history.
Jokic was blunt about Denver’s struggles on the court, stating, “It was one team playing tonight. Even the turnovers, misses, they were aggressive, they were going by us, they were rebounding the ball. They were just better. Much, much better than us today.”
The Nuggets’ defensive and offensive execution was widely criticized. Denver shot just 37.9% from the field and committed 20 turnovers, a stark contrast to Oklahoma City’s shooting performance of 56.2%.
Jokic also noted the challenge of facing the Thunder’s physicality, especially when smaller defenders like Jalen Williams were assigned to him: “He’s there to be aggressive, to be into me,” Jokic said. “He didn’t do anything different.”
Jokic, who was limited to 17 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out in the third quarter, discussed the frustration of being called for fouls while battling through the Thunder’s aggressive defense. “I think I wanted to set a good screen on Jamal [Murray] because they were so physical, handsy on him,” Jokic explained.
It was the first time Jokic had fouled out in an NBA game, a situation he admitted wasn’t driven by frustration, but rather an attempt to help his teammate. “It happens,” he said.
Despite the blowout, Jokic was adamant that the team couldn’t make excuses for their performance, pointing to the physical toll on Michael Porter Jr. as one factor. “He’s fighting, of course,” Jokic acknowledged. “But I think that cannot be an excuse. That’s my opinion.”
As the Nuggets look ahead to Game 3, Jokic emphasized the need for a collective effort to rebound. “We need to be much better to not react to attack them,” Jokic stated, acknowledging that the team’s individual efforts were not enough. “Literally, every single person needs to step up and be better.”
