Within the eve of the NBA’s a lot anticipated announcement of this season’s MVP winner, Nikola Jokic staged one other great efficiency for the Denver Nuggets to additional add such hype to the award’s narratives.
Registering 39 factors, 16 boards and 5 dimes in 17-of-30 capturing, Jokic carried his membership on one other momentum evening because the Nuggets took a 2-0 collection margin over the Phoenix Suns of their 2023 Western Convention Semifinals showdown by way of 97-87 Sport 2 victory.
With each Jamal Murray (3-of-15) and Michael Porter Jr. (2-of-7) discovering troubles on their shot mechanics, it was Jokic all by himself who carried the heavy scoring load for Denver.
“Nikola’s an MVP for a motive,” Malone mentioned. “He can take over a sport. He can beat you in lots of methods. … I like a man who’s attending to the basket, imposing his will upon the opposite staff.”
Jokic feasted down the stretch along with his 14 factors within the fourth body, which absolutely allowed the Nuggets to take themselves away from the Suns after a good three quarters.
Along with his strong efficiency in full show on Monday, Jokic turned the fifth participant in league historical past to etch 20+ factors, 15+ boards, and 5+ assists in three consecutive playoff video games.
Aaron Gordon delivered one other necessary two-way evening for the Nuggets, churning 16 markers. He additionally primarily held down Kevin Durant to 24 factors in an uncharacteristic 10-of-16 capturing.
Jokic wants just one extra relaxation to completely decide if he’ll bag his third-consecutive MVP award, which can put himself alongside Larry Fowl and Wilt Chamberlain amongst the legendary gamers who managed to perform this final feat.
However the Serbian celebrity insisted that he obtained no such curiosity on the proclamation of the league’s greatest participant within the 2022-23 season.
“I can’t give it some thought, like zero curiosity,” Jokic mentioned.
As such, Malone can solely share the identical sentiments with Jokic, as they’re primarily eyeing themselves to clinch the final word prize.
“I do know what motivates Nikola Jokic, myself, and the remainder of the blokes in that locker room. It’s not the MVP,” Malone mentioned. “ … If he wins, it, we will likely be celebrating and really completely happy for him as a result of it’d be an enormous accomplishment – three years in a row. Only some guys in NBA historical past have completed that.
“If he doesn’t win it, I’m nonetheless gonna give him a hug and inform him he’s the MVP in my eyes.”