Every team in the NBA has wondered and game-planned how to stop Nikola Jokic, but there’s a reason many consider him to be the best basketball player in the world currently. The two-time MVP showed off his skills once again in a triple-double as the Nuggets beat the Celtics on Thursday.
While the Celtics clawed back from a double-digit deficit to threaten to take the lead, they didn’t have enough plays down the stretch. Part of that was Jokic as he finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the 115-109 Nuggets victory. After the game, Jaylen Brown revealed a surprising take in that he actually wanted to guard the big man more.
“Jokic is just a monster down there,” Brown told reporters in Denver. “We threw some different coverages at him, we guarded him one-on-one, we tried to have late help and stuff like that. I feel like I should have guarded Jokic a little bit, a little more. I wish I would’ve had those opportunities a little bit. I could keep him away from the basket and we could’ve took away some of those layups they got.”
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Since the beginning of the season, Brown has often guarded the other team’s best player on the perimeter. But guarding Jokic is a different battle as his blend of size, skill and physicality make him such a tough cover. The C’s have experimented with the idea of a guard matching up against a big man, but that’s often been Jrue Holiday in that role. So it sounds like Brown wanted that matchup himself.
Regardless, the Celtics didn’t have enough in the margins when it came to beating the Nuggets. They had their opportunities as they forced it down to a one-possession game on multiple occasions. But the C’s couldn’t generate enough plays. Part of that came down to the missed free throws, including a 7-for-14 showing from Brown despite his 42-point night.
But as Brown pointed out, the Celtics had their chances Thursday. They were swept in the season series to the reigning champs in the Nuggets, but those were two close games. So while many will hype up that it was a potential NBA Finals preview, the C’s will instead focus on the lessons learned from the loss.
“I feel like we made a lot of mistakes,” Brown said. “Obviously they’re a really good team and they capitalized off of that, but I think we kind of beat ourselves a little bit tonight. Free throws, turnovers, giving them layups. … And offensively he could’ve been better. We turned the ball over. There’s a lot of stuff you could look at and the environment, intensity was great.”
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