"29ft Three from a Center is Mad!" - Nikola Jokic shooting from Steph Curry range after twisting his ankle had NBA fans stunned
Nikola Jokic has been insanely impressive in the playoffs, particularly in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. He has been posting jaw-dropping numbers, seemingly creating history almost every time he plays.
The “Joker” surprised basketball fans in the second quarter of Game 4 that even Steph Curry would have been proud of:
Fans quickly reacted to the incredible shot:
"29ft Three from a Center is Mad!"
Jokic’s 29-footer gave the Nuggets a 33-30 lead with 7:30 left in the second quarter. The wide-open shot came after Jamal Murray tried to post up Jimmy Butler in the paint. Bam Adebayo sagged off Denver’s superstar to prevent a sudden cut in the middle.
Murray went up for a shot but passed to Jokic at the last moment. Adebayo’s positioning left him at least five feet from the Nuggets' big man who took his time lining up the shot. It hit nothing but the net to silence the raucous Kaseya Center crowd.
Nikola Jokic has made some crucial and unbelievable three-pointers in the playoffs. He had two such shots against Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers in the semifinals. His triple against the Heat didn’t have the degree of difficulty as those he made against LA, but it was nonetheless impressive.
Heading into Game 4, the “Joker” has been superb from behind the arc. He is hitting 44.4%, tied with Bruce Brown for team-best. Jokic’s ability to punish defenders from deep has made his two-man game with Jamal Murray even more difficult to contain.
The Heat have been forced to pick their poison every time the Nuggets run their pick-and-roll or handoffs with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Both have been exceptional and have largely overwhelmed the Heat with their shotmaking from outside or drives inside.
Nikola Jokic is off to a good start in Game 4 of the NBA Finals
After the first 24 minutes of Game 4, Nikola Jokic has already tallied 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. These are superb numbers but by his standards, one could call it a good rather than a great start. He already had a double-double in Game 3 and went on to finish with a triple-double.
The Miami Heat have done a decent job of stopping Jamal Murray. After Game 3’s dazzling start, he has been limited to six points, four assists and two rebounds. Jokic, who has been carrying the scoring load, found a partner in Aaron Gordon in the second quarter.
The “Joker” repeatedly found Gordon deep in the paint for point-blank layups. Gordon tied Jokic with 16 first-half points. The Denver Nuggets are again taking advantage of mismatches every time they send a double-team toward Jokic or Murray by putting Gordon in the dunker’s spot.
Nikola Jokic has towed the Nuggets to a 55-51 edge leading into the halftime break. He’s expected to sustain his form as Denver tries to put a stranglehold on the NBA Finals with another win in Miami.
Also read: What shoes does Nikola Jokic wear? Finding out more about the Nuggets star