NBA
In the 2023 postseason, the Denver Nuggets are 0-3 when Nikola Jokic scores 40+ points in a game
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated05 Jun 2023
During the 2023 playoffs, Nikola Jokic has been special for the Denver Nuggets. He’s averaging a triple-double this postseason and he is truly one of the most unselfish superstars in the NBA. Last night required Jokic to shoulder a bit more of the scoring load. In the 2023 postseason, the Denver Nuggets are 0-3 when Nikola Jokic scores 40+ points in a game.
You would think that the team’s best player scoring 40+ points would be a good thing, but not in this rare circumstance. In games where Jokic has scored less than 40, the Nuggets are 13-1 this postseason. After scoring 41 in their 111-108 loss, the Nuggets are now 0-3 when he scores 40+.
Denver’s other stars and role players did not play as well as they had in Game 1. Two of their starters scored less than 10 points in Game 2. NBA betting sites still have the Nuggets favored at (-270) to win the 2023 NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are 0-3 this postseason when Nikola Jokic scores 40+ points (finished with 41 points in Game 2). They are 13-1 when he scores fewer than 40.
Those three losses in 40-point games are tied for the most by any player in a postseason in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/ug5NEYFM1v
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 5, 2023
The Denver Nuggets are 0-3 when Nikola Jokic scores 40+ points this postseason
In Game 2 last night, Nikola Jokic played a team-high 42 minutes and finished with 41/11/4 on 16-28 shooting from the field. He had an 18-point third quarter to help the Nuggets have an eight-point lead heading into the fourth. His efforts were not enough to stop a 17-5 run that Miami went on to begin the fourth quarter.
Jamal Murray’s scoring numbers were down last night. He’d been averaging nearly 27 points per game this postseason and only had 18 in Game 2. Murray did have 10 assists and 4 rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. had a rough game with just 5 points on 2-8 shooting from the field.
The Nuggets will need a strong response in Game 3 on the road in Miami. They are still the favorites in this series and it’s for a good reason. It’s hard to picture the Nuggets not winning the Finals this season. Nikola Jokic and the rest of his teammates are going to do whatever it takes to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.
