"I’m just glad we won the game"- Nikola Jokic says he doesn't care much about being the first person to have a 30-20-10 in Finals history
Nikola Jokic made NBA Finals history with a 30-20-10 performance in Game 3 of the Finals. However, when asked how he felt about it, the Denver Nuggets superstar responded in a rather typical fashion.
The Nuggets emerged victorious in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. With a 109-94 win on the road, Denver dominated and stole a much-needed win in the series to take a one-game lead.
Following the game, Nikola Jokic was asked to share his thoughts on his achievement. To no one's surprise, "The Joker" shared a humble response, saying:
"I mean to be honest, not much… I’m just glad we won a game. It was a big one for us."
“You are the first person in NBA History to have a 30-20-10 NBA Finals game. What does that mean to you?”
Nikola Jokic: “I mean to be honest, not much…I’m just glad we won the game .”
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After losing their first home game of the 2023 playoffs in Game 2, the Nuggets came back stronger with a dominant performance to round out Game 3. By taking a 2-1 lead in the series, Denver is now in a perfect position to win their first NBA title by Game 5 at home.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray carried Denver to a win
The win will be attributed to the combined brilliance of Nikola Jokic and star teammate Jamal Murray, who notched a triple-double of his own.
"The Joker" made history with a 30-20-10 performance, but Murray notched a team-high 34 points while also racking up 10 rebounds and 10 assists of his own. The teammates shot a combined 24-43 from the field as well to bring up Denver's overall offensive integrity.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the first pair of teammates with triple-doubles in Finals history!
Jokic: 32 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST
Murray: 34 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST
DEN/MIA Game 4: Friday, 8:30pm/et on ABC https://t.co/0hLcPvv0zN
Denver's star duo certainly shone brightest when the situation called upon them. The Nuggets also benefitted from a tremendous solo performance by rookie Christian Braun in the fourth quarter. Braun ended the game with 15 points on a red-hot 7-8 shooting.
However, these three were the only productive members of the Nuggets' offense. Outside of the 81 points contributed by the trio, Denver saw virtually no contributions from their starters.
Aaron Gordon scored 11 points. Meanwhile, Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had quite a rough night as they combined for 0-7 from 3-point territory.
The Nuggets winning despite shooting 27.8% from the beyond the arc is certainly promising. However, it also seems like a concern that needs to be addressed immediately.
Considering Miami's tendencies to return stronger than before, Denver will be best served by making adjustments immediately.