The Denver Nuggets will play in the Finals for the first time in their history. They won Game 4 113-111 in Los Angeles and closed the series with the Lakers 4-0, thus winning the Western Conference. Jokic dominated the second half, responding to James’ sensational first and allowing the Colorado franchise to play for the NBA ring in the final act of the season for the first time in 47 years. The Finals will begin on Thursday, 1 June, and the Nuggets will have time to “rest”.
The Serbian centre – Mvp of the Finals – at the age of 28 wins the first Finals of his career, which sees the Nuggets favourite in the betting odds offered by bwin. The crowning for the most dominant player of the last three Nba seasons. The statistics say a lot, but they don’t say everything. They say that with his eighth triple-double of the 2023 playoffs he set a new record, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s seven that dated back to 1967, even. They say that – because it matters when you score, even more than how much you score – the last two baskets from the field in Game 4 were made by him. One 3-pointer, absurdly off-balance, another one by bullying, freeing himself as a true centre from Anthony Davis, attacking the basket. In other words, the best of a phenomenon’s unlimited offensive repertoire. What the numbers don’t say, beyond the final 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, is that he didn’t force anything. Playing as a team until the end, despite the excitement of the final sprint.
It is no coincidence that his post-match comments were those of a team player: “Down by 15 points at the end of the first half we didn’t give up, we never do when things go wrong. The comeback was the result of a collective effort, not of a single player”.
He tried. In every way. Praiseworthy. He scored 31 points in the first half, dominated like he was 10 years younger. He finished with 40, with 10 rebounds and 9 assists on the side, defended on Jokic and Murray, scored from outside and from under the basket. He did everything, at 38. Except being able to score the tying basket to force overtime, he tried twice in the final minute, with 26″ to go and then at the last second, blocked by Aaron Gordon on Jamal Murray’s double. But he put his face, personality and will to win right up to the last moment of the game and series. Little to blame him, then. The better team won, and the better team this time was not his Lakers.
They close a season that started badly, but straightened out as the season progressed. Difficult if not impossible to do more with this team. Davis goes in flashes, albeit dazzling, then many role players, with Reaves the most convincing, once once more. But not enough overall talent, as a supporting cast, to win the Finals.
