Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are cruising through the first round. Denver is up 3-0 against the Lakers, as they plan their second-straight sweep against them.
Not only that but the Nuggets are 11-0 versus the men in purple and gold, being undefeated since December 2022. So far into the series, each Nugget has stepped up. Jamal Murray unleashed a game-winner to put Denver up 2-0 in Game 2. Jokic led the squad in Game 1 and Aaron Gordon dominated in the recent contest.
One can say that the Nuggets have developed each of their assets. Aaron Gordon found his home in Denver following his rough stint with the Magic. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the former Laker, has been more consistent since he arrived in Denver.
Behind all this is the basketball genius, the Joker. Following a fantastic performance in Game 3, Gordon praised Jokic’s IQ, which made the game easier for all his teammates.
“I mean Joker is a basketball genius. He’s just a genius and happens to play basketball. So he makes the game very easy. When you think the game like that, the game unlocks.
“You know, you can see start seeing plays ahead. Two-three steps ahead, you can start to nuisance the game a lot and it just becomes, yeah just easier to play. Aaron Gordon at the post-game presser”
Gordon and Jokic become the first duo in postseason history to each have 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 65 FG% in the same game
Gordon finished the game with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists in Game 3, whereas the Joker dropped 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists. Both players ended the game with great numbers, while also creating opportunities for their teammates. However, the 11-0 record versus LA stands out, and Jokic might have just shed some light on the same in his post-game interview.
Jamal Murray might be the Robin to Nikola Jokic’s Batman, but Aaron Gordon is the muscle of that operation. He’s the brute force that powers an otherwise finesse team.
Gordon’s physicality has been key to the Nuggets’ continued dominance of the Lakers. Be it crashing the boards, guarding LeBron James and Anthony Davis on switches, or stopping short any chance the Lakers have had to get transition buckets, Gordon has “big-boyed” the Lakers through and through.
As such, any sort of offensive production that Gordon brings is almost a luxury to Denver. And when he scores at least 20 points, the defending champions are literally unbeatable. The Nuggets are 5-0 in playoff games when Gordon reaches the scoring threshold. Thursday’s Game 3 win was the latest instance.