The Nuggets’ dominant playoff run ends with their first NBA title
Nikola Jokić has long been considered one of the league’s best players. After leading the Denver Nuggets to the franchise’s first-ever National Basketball Association championship with a 4-1 series victory over the Miami Heat and earning the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award, he is now in the company of the game’s historically great players.
The 28-year-old, 7-foot center from Serbia, who was drafted in the second round (41st overall) by the Nuggets in 2014, became just the 11th player to win at least two regular season MVPs and be named the Finals MVP. Jokić is also the fifth international player since the NBA’s inaugural 1946-47 season to be named the Finals MVP, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. (Tim Duncan, who has three Finals MVP awards on his resume, was born in the Virgin Islands, a United States territory, so is not considered an international player.)
A reflection of the collective selflessness displayed by the Nuggets all season in their journey to a title, Jokić deflected personal praise following the Nuggets’ 94-89 Game 5 victory over the Heat in Denver on Monday night to close out the best-of-seven series.
“We are not in it for ourselves, we are in it for the guy next to us,” Jokić said. “And that’s why this [means] even more.
The Nuggets were a low-maintenance, drama-free outfit led by their head coach, Mike Malone, that seemingly flew under the radar this season despite being the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed with the league’s third best record (53-29), sitting behind only the Eastern Conference’s Milwaukee Bucks (58-24) and Boston Celtics (57-25).
But Denver validated their lofty place in the NBA hierarchy by tearing through the postseason, losing only four of 20 games, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, the Phoenix Suns 4-2, and blanking the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 before dismissing the Heat. In the Finals, Jokić averaged 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, culminating with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists in Game 5. He made triple-doubles routine early in the playoffs, opening the Finals with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists in a 104-93 Game 1 Nugget win.
Yet he eschewed references to his lofty number when broached by reporters. “It’s just a stat,” Jokić said with a tone of indifference. “I don’t care.”
In the postgame presser on Monday, Malone noted Jokić’s other attributes before acknowledging his on-court brilliance. “He’s a great husband, father, and son and brother,” Malone said. “And on the basketball court, he has proven time and time again that he’s the best player in the NBA. He’s our MVP, we love him, and we’re thankful that he’s wearing a Nuggets uniform.”
While much of the shine was deservedly on Jokić, Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was sensational this postseason. Fully recovered from a torn ACL sustained on April 12, 2021 that kept him out until October 19 of last year, an 18-month absence, Murray proved to be a star in his own right, posting 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 20 games.
Jokić and Murray received requisite support from power forward Aaron Gordon, who showed he is a budding All-NBA Defensive Team candidate; starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; and reserve guard/forward Bruce Brown, among others.
“I’ll speak for everybody in our locker room and organization. Congratulations to the Denver Nuggets organization,” said Miami Heat coach Eric Spolestra, who led what was only the second No. 8 seed in NBA history—the 1999 New York Knicks were the first—to the finals.
“They’re a class act,” he added. “And they’re one hell of a basketball team. We couldn’t really find [obvious] enough solutions to get us over the top.”
The Heat defied the odds by first taking down the No. 1 seed Bucks, No. 5 seed Knicks, and No. 2 seed Celtics before being unable to overcome the Nuggets superior talent. The run left the resilient Heat’s dogged five-time All-NBA selection Jimmy Butler disappointed by falling short of the team’s championship goal, but appreciative of the moment.
“You never know what the team’s gonna look like next year or the year after that,” said the 33-year-old Butler shortly after Game 5.
“I’m just grateful. I learned so much. They taught me so much. And I wish I could of got it done for these guys because they definitely deserve it. But the one thing that Imma take from it is how grateful I am to be able to compete with them.”
Spoelstra articulated a similar sentiment.
“There’s no regrets on our end. There’s just some times where you get beat, you know, and Denver was the better basketball team in this series,” he said.
They were. And the best in the NBA.
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