How Thunder triggered Nikola Jokic's worst three-game stretch of career

So, how exactly has OKC triggered the worst three-game stretch of Jokic's career?

OKC's swarming defense has stripped Jokic of his ability to run an offense.

OKC sent multiple defenders in his vicinity every time Jokic touched the ball in the elbow/post area through Games 2 and 4. That defensive pressure only intensified when he put the ball on the floor. By crowding his space, Thunder further ensured Jokic could not see over defenses and find cutters or shooters for easy looks. 

The latter is precisely why the Nuggets star finished with a mere three assists in Sunday's 92-87 loss in the Mile High City. To take away Jokic's ability to score is one thing. To strip him of his ability to find teammates — a trait he excels at — is another. 

"They're playing really good defense on me," Jokic admitted said after shooting 7-of-22 in Game 4. "They're really into my body, physical...They're shrinking the floor on me. They're having a guy behind the defender, so it's a bit of everything. I need to do a better job, of course, but it's part of the game."

As Jokic highlighted, OKC routinely used a box-and-one scheme while guarding him in the post on Sunday. Teams typically adopt such a strategy to slow down a one-man scoring machine like a Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant, forcing the ball out of their hands. In Denver's case, Jokic is more than just their best scorer — he's their entire offense. As such, OKC has taken away Denver's ability to run its usual actions.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault deserves kudos for altering his team's defensive strategy after the Game 1 loss in which Jokic recorded a historic stat line and looked every bit like the three-time MVP. One of the changes made was putting Isaiah Hartenstein on the Serb after Chet Holmgren got the unenviable assignment in Game 1.

In Sunday's win, Hartenstein, as the primary defender, held Jokic to 3-of-10 shooting. However, he refuses to take credit for slowing down the Nuggets star, acknowledging that it's been a team effort.  

"We're just really just focused on how to execute as a team," the German said. "We've been doing a great job staying disciplined, great job playing team defense."

All-time greats like Jokic find a way to overcome hurdles in the playoffs. However, it may be too late for him to solve the OKC puzzle. Even if he does, the top-ranked defense in the sport has seemingly worn on him.