Speaking in the aftermath of a Game 3 win over the Lakers on Thursday, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic opened up on what it feels like to have such a dominant run against a singular opponent. He admitted that it's hard to play the same team over and over again and that things start to get a little stale after winning the matchup so many times.
“To be honest, I think every game is tougher and tougher,” Jokic said, via Denver Post. “You can see, they were up 20 in Denver, in Game 2. They were up 12 today in the first half. But yeah, I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get bored with the style of the play or whatever. So you just need to — especially for us, because we won the last three — just trust what we are doing and don’t get bored with success. Because it can (go) wrong really quick.”
The Nuggets are playing the Lakers in a series again for the second straight season and they are having no problem taking care of business. Just like last time, and the previous 10 games, the Nuggets were able to win a crucial Game 3 on Thursday to take a nearly series-clinching 3-0 lead.
The worst part is that Jokic looks like he's hardly breaking a sweat out there. With averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists for the Nuggets. the soon-to-be 3x MVP has been playing some of the best basketball of his life and it's made the Nuggets practically indestructible.
Can Anyone Challenge The Denver Nuggets?
With depth, star power, and playoff experience, the Nuggets are lacking in nothing when it comes to the qualities of a championship-level team. The Nuggets have a well-balanced roster that not only fits well together but is full of players willing to play their roles.
Guys like Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and other role-players often get overlooked by the fans and media, but their part in the team's success cannot be overlooked, and the Nuggets know more than anyone that this system must be maintained.
On the verge of yet another sweep over LeBron James and the Lakers, it's become even more evident that Jokic is the best player in the world and he's got the Nuggets on a tear that is tough to beat right now. In the West, only a few teams can really challenge them but anyone outside of Dallas, OKC, or Minnesota is likely dead in the water in a series against the Nuggets.
Of course, in the East, the Boston Celtics finished with the best record in the league this year and many consider them to be the biggest threat to Jokic and company. If they can stay healthy and avoid late-game mistakes, Boston certainly has the best chance out of anyone to take out the defending champs.
But with the way that the Nuggets look currently, it will take nothing short of a miracle to beat them and there are no signs that they will let that happen. As it stands, the road to the championship runs through Denver and it will be interesting to see if any team is able to come close to keeping up with them in this post-season.
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