Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic fetched a lot of questions about the team’s disastrous 106-149 outing in Game 2. The frustrated big man patiently answered all the questions from the reporters during the postgame press conference.
Reporter: “How would you describe the difference in the start that they came out with versus what you guys did?”
Jokic: “Basically, it was one team playing tonight. Turnovers, misses, they were going by us. They were aggressive. They were rebounding the ball. They were just better. They were much, much better than us today, and that’s why the score is so bad.”
The Nuggets star was also asked about the physical nature of the game, a standard theme in the playoffs this season.
Reporter: “How do you deal with their physicality? It seems like you’re always getting called for reacting. How do you deal with and play through their physicality?”
Jokic: “Just try to fight for possession as best as you can and deal with the consequences.”
Reporter: “And then you fouled out in the third quarter, I think that’s the first time you’ve had that happen, in the NBA at least. Was the last foul out of frustration to get out, or did you guys talk about fouling out?”
Jokic: “No, I just wanted to set a good screen for Jamal because they were so physical and handsy on him. It happens, you know.”
The 30-year-old was then asked about being guarded by Thunder big man Jaylin Williams and its impact on the game.
Jokic: “They had him on me even in the last game. It was not a big difference in the last game. So he’s there to be aggressive, to be into me. So he wasn’t doing nothing different.”
Reporter: “Nikola, this is your guys’ second big loss of the postseason. What have you seen from David Adelman in terms of handling it?”
Jokic: “He handles it how he’s supposed to. We need to be better. It’s not his fault… Collectively, as a group, we need to be much better.”
Immediately after, a reporter asked Jokic how the team would process this loss and move on.
Jokic: “I think we should not forget about it. I think we should learn from it and be much better where we were making mistakes. We were not being aggressive.”
The Serbian was also asked about his interaction with Scott Foster after he was handed his fifth foul. The Nuggets center let the reporter know it was just a conversation between the two. He then fetched a follow-up question about Russell Westbrook, who received a technical foul while trying to help.
Jokic: “Russ is a great teammate. He’s always going to be there. It’s always a reaction, you know. He reacted, and he got a technical. Does it deserve it or not is not mine to talk.”
He was also asked about the team’s desire to go back in after the break to fight back, referring to David Adelman’s statement about the team’s energy.
Jokic: “Yes, of course. They were aggressive. They were hitting us. We wanted to have a reaction, but we were not disciplined enough. Everyone was kind of doing their own thing. We can not win like that. Every single person needs to step up and be better.”
Reporter: “Were there any conversations among players wanting to play?”
Jokic: “I mean, we understand. We understand that this is not what we want. We need to be much better.”
A reporter mentioned that teams strategically send different centers in to guard Jokic, who then asked how the Nuggets center dealt with players with fresh legs.
Jokic: “Since three or four years that’s what teams have been doing to me. So, it’s not something that I didn’t see before.”
The 7x All-Star was also asked to comment upon the contributions and effort of Michael Porter Jr., who is currently playing through a shoulder injury.
Jokic: “He’s fighting and it’s a good thing. We appreciate it. But that cannot be an excuse… That’s my honest opinion.”
Reporter: “What were your thoughts on Thunder fans booing Westbrook for the first time?”
Jokic: “I don’t know. That’s their problem. I really don’t know what to say.”
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets had a tough outing in Game 2. A frustrating night for the Nuggets star also saw him foul out of the game in the third quarter itself. While this doesn’t bode well for the Nuggets, a win in Game 1 gives them some breathing room as the series heads home to Denver.
Nuggets Head Coach Believes Team Was “Punked” By The Thunder In Game 2
Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman spoke with the press after the game to mention what the difference was between Wednesday’s blowout loss and the blowout loss in Game 3 against the Clippers.
“We got punked,” said the Nuggets head coach. “They came out with the right intensity and we didn’t. I think we let some open shots early in the game affect us how we play defensively… We can’t come out like that, that kind of mentality.”
Adelman stressed on the disastrous first-half display by his team as they allowed 87 points to be scored, while only scoring 56. The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated for the rest of the game as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched a record-breaking +51 for the game.
The Thunder’s defense was instrumental in their victory, as they forced 20 turnovers and capitalized on them. Their aggressive play disrupted Denver’s rhythm and prevented the Nuggets from establishing any flow to their offense.
This loss will require the Nuggets to regroup ahead of Game 3. With a lot of changes that need to be made, Denver will look to take control of the series again on Friday at 10:00 pm ET.
