Apr 4, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) takes a breather during the game against the Golden State Warriors in the third period at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Ty Lue's Honest Nikola Jokic Statement Before Clippers-Nuggets Game 1

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 3:16 PM ET

The LA Clippers ended their 2024-25 campaign on a hot streak, winning eight consecutive games and 18 of their last 21. The Clippers secured the fifth seed in the Western Conference and now have to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

The Clippers and Nuggets are set to kick off their series on Saturday afternoon, and LA has much to gameplan for. The Nuggets are led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who has undoubtedly been the best player in the league over the past five years.

This season, Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game with 57.6/41.7/80.0 shooting splits, and the Clippers will have their hands full trying to slow him down.

Only 3 players have ever averaged a triple-double over a full season in NBA history:

Oscar Robertson
Russell Westbrook (4x)
Nikola Jokić

Joker and the #4 Nuggets host the #5 Clippers in Game 1 today at 3:30pm/et on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/wfOawuSUS0
— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2025

Ahead of Saturday's Game 1, Clippers head coach Ty Lue revealed how much he has studied what other teams have done against Jokic.

"A lot of different things, not a lot of success," Lue said. "He’s a great player, great passer. If you don’t double-team, he’s going to score the basketball. What’s different from two or three years ago, he can shoot the three, but he was reluctant, now he’s looking for the three.

"So, that adds a different dimension to his game which for seven-foot centers like Zu [Ivica Zubac] to chase off pin-downs, get to three-point line, it poses a big threat for him, so we have to be prepared for it."

Jokic is certainly one of the hardest NBA players to slow down, and doing it throughout a seven-game playoff series is nearly impossible. Luckily, the Clippers have an incredible coaching staff and the firepower to keep up with Jokic and the Nuggets, setting up an incredible first-round matchup.

The Nuggets and Clippers kick off their series on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST in Denver.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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