Nikola Jokic walked out of Ball Arena with 40 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, but his biggest message after Denver’s 136-134 overtime win over San Antonio was about the level of the game itself.
“I mean I think he doesn’t bring out of… they’re playing… they’re really good team,” Jokic said of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. “They’re number two in the West and they won a lot of games in past two months and you know they’re a big challenge.”
Denver needed every bit of that challenge. The Nuggets trailed by 13 in the fourth quarter before Aaron Gordon tied the game late in regulation and the team held on in overtime to snap San Antonio’s 11-game winning streak.
Jokic said the opening quarter was the only stretch that felt off for Denver. “After first quarter I think we were much better and we kind of were in the game and like after that first quarter I think it felt like a playable game.”
The Nuggets closed the final 14 minutes, including overtime, by outscoring the Spurs 40-27. Jokic said the result came from toughness, not panic.
“I think we had a good job today and you know just maybe a little bit more screen, maybe a little bit more separation, you know, be decisive,” he said. “So I think the hesitation against them kills you and just if you have open look you just shoot it.”
That same mindset carried into Denver’s late-game shot selection. Jokic said the team trusted the right reads when the defense loaded up on him. “Open man wins,” he said. “If you open you got to let it fly you got to shoot the ball be aggressive.”
Jokic also praised Aaron Gordon’s defense on Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. “He’s definitely one of the most versatile defenders in the league,” Jokic said. “He can guard multiple positions and he was really good tonight.”
The floater Jokic hit late in overtime also came up, and he smiled at the question. “I just throw it up and enjoying the motion and hopefully not let it fly,” he said. “Mike Miller always say let it fly, enjoy the moment, and hopefully it’s going to go in.”
Asked about the pressure of a game that felt like the postseason, Jokic kept it simple. “I mean I think the moment of the game right now,” he said. “If we lose the next one that this one doesn’t matter at all.”
He also reflected on the wider NBA stage. “I think the league is so so so talented and there is so many matchups and so many good teams playing against each other,” Jokic said. “It’s just I think it’s a great to be fan of basketball right now.”
Jokic ended on the same note Denver needs most down the stretch. “We found a way to win,” he said. “I think right now in this part of a season that’s the most important thing.”
