As the Denver Nuggets‘ series against the Minnesota Timberwolves plays out, it’s become increasingly clear that Minnesota might’ve cracked the code on the superstar center, Nikola Jokic.
While the veteran center is still putting up impressive numbers by the average players’ standard, Jokic hasn’t been on par with himself. As a result, the Nuggets are down 2-1 in the series.
Following a Game 3 loss on the road, the star guard Jamal Murray briefly touched on Jokic’s shooting struggles.
Putting up percentages that he’s never seen before, Murray is confident that it’s just a one-off scenario. The Nuggets are looking forward to seeing Jokic bounce back.
What Did Jamal Murray Say About Nikola Jokic?
“I thought the shots he took today, it wasn’t like he doesn’t make those every day of his life,” Murray told reporters, according to Bennett Durando. “So I’ve never seen him shoot what he shot today. That’s just kind of an outlier type of game. Really from everybody. But we’re not worried about Jok.”
Jokic put up 26 shots from the field in Game 3. The star center made just seven of his attempts. From three, Jokic shot 2-10.
It wasn’t just the star center, though. The Nuggets averaged just 34.0% from the field. Murray had plenty of shooting struggles on his end as well. The veteran guard checked in for 35 minutes. He shot 5-17 from the field, missing all five of his attempts from beyond the arc. Murray finished the game with 16 points.
The Nuggets came up short against the Timberwolves with a 113-96 loss.
Heading into Game 4 on Saturday night, the Nuggets know they have to shoot much better in order to avoid dropping to 1-3 before heading back home to Colorado.
It’s going to start with Nikola Jokic. Since the start of the playoffs, Jokic is shooting 40.0% from the field (worst FG% of his postseason career by 8.0%). He is averaging 25.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game.
The Nuggets and the Timberwolves are set for an 8:30 PM ET tip.
Nuggets’ Jamal Murray Gets Honest on Nikola Jokic’s Shocking Struggles