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Nikola Jokic’s 2-word assessment of elbow injury after Game 7 Nuggets loss

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Lorenzo J Reyna | Last updated May 18, 2025 9:53 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic watched their season unravel in Game 7. Jokic scored 20 points but his Nuggets got embarrassed 125-93 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jokic, however, fought through an elbow ailment during the season, plus NBA Playoffs. The perennial NBA All-Star noticeably played without a sleeve over his elbow.

Was his elbow bothersome? Nuggets reporter Brendan Vogt tried asking.

“I asked him about it on the way off the podium. ‘It’s fine,'” Jokic told Vogt, which the reporter shared via X.

Jokic delivered an epic playoff performance from a statistical standpoint. He rose to first in eight different categories, per StatMuse. However, he became a part of a not-so wonderous moment at the Paycom Center. And struggled facing a shorter defender.

2 infamous Nikola Jokic moments in Nuggets loss to Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) shoots beside Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second half of game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The center led all Nuggets players in points. But two Thunder players got the better end of him.

Alex Caruso earned the task of defending Jokic. Many praised the 6-foot-5 guard’s defense against the 6-foot-11 talent. Jokic scored his second-fewest points in the series facing the veteran.

But Caruso wasn’t the only guard who had his way with the Nuggets star. Cason Wallace threw a monster dunk over Jokic with his left hand. That viscous throwdown sparked memes, gifs, and other notable online posts.

Denver witnessed the star big man score between 17 to 44 points in every game of the Semifinals. He even exploded for 44 points in Game 5. Jokic also briefly saved his team’s season by dropping 29 in Game 6. He recorded five double-doubles in the series that stretched seven games.

The Nuggets and Jokic, however, returned to a familiar unfortunate territory on their end. They’ve been eliminated in the second round for the second straight season. Denver even fell in last year’s Game 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves — who now await OKC.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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