Nikola Jokic gave a funny and direct reaction during his post-game walk-off interview after Game 3 of the NBA Finals. “The Joker” became the first player to record a 30-20-10 stat line in the Finals. In the 44 minutes he was on the court, Jokic scored 32 points while grabbing 21 rebounds and dishing out ten assists. His iconic performance propelled the Denver Nuggets to a 109-94 win on the road.
On asking the Nuggets star about his epic outing, Nikola Jokic gave a causal answer, saying, “I mean to be honest, not much, I’m just glad we won.” This is once again a testament to how selfless of a basketball player he is. Not only did he score, but he also facilitated his teammates, who made shots in Game 3 after a disappointing outing in Game 2. The post-game walk-off was just like every other interview Jokic has given. He is unbothered by personal accomplishments being the team player he is, and does not dwell too much on them.
Despite winning two MVP trophies, the Serbian hasn’t kept the individual awards a priority and always kept his team ahead. He still lets Jamal Murray operate as the point guard, but when he gets the ball, the Joker makes sure that he makes opposition defenses suffer.
"To be honest, not much."
Nikola Jokic on his 30-20-10 performance in Game 3 and whether it means anything to him 😅pic.twitter.com/wXBl6JPd9E
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 8, 2023Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray help the Nuggets take a 2-1 lead
The star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray once again led the way for the Denver Nuggets against in the Miami Heat in Game 3. They combined for 66 points, which was more than half of Denver’s team total on the night. Their performances made them the only teammates to have triple-doubles in the Finals.
Speaking about the duo in his post-game press conference, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, “I’ve been with Nikola for eight and Jamal for seven years now and we’ve had some pretty good moments, but not in the NBA Finals and for those guys to make history the way they did tonight, no one’s ever done that.”
"I've been with Nikola [Jokic] for 8 [years] and Jamal [Murray] for 7 years now. We've had some pretty good moments. But not in the NBA Finals… By far their greatest performance as a duo in their 7 years together."
Nuggets coach Michael Malone on Joker and Murray recording… pic.twitter.com/W8fbfviCeU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 8, 2023Nikola Jokic started the game very actively, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. The game was pretty neck and neck until the third quarter started, as things turned in the Nuggets’ favor from thereon. The team from the Mile High City racked up 29 points in the third quarter and restricted the Heat to a mere 20 to turn things around. Denver put in some brilliant defensive effort and looked to have answers to everything Miami was throwing at them.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were crucial for the win, but performances from Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon were also massive for the Nuggets. Heading into Game 4, coach Malone will be hoping for a similar performance from his players. If they are able to produce that, things could get complicated for the team from South Beach.
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