2 years ago
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Austin Rivers has ne'er seen anyone similar Nikola Jokic, and helium struggles to deliberation of anyone who gets defended similar him, either.
The lone examination Rivers tin conjure is Joel Embiid, who tends to elicit akin attraction arsenic the Nuggets’ anchor.
“He sees the craziest defenses,” said Rivers, whose season-high 22 points helped the Nuggets past a lowly 38-point 2nd fractional against the Thunder connected Sunday night. “Between him and astir apt Joel Embiid, I don’t cognize who gets doubled similar that. As soon arsenic helium touches it, he’s got similar a swarm of guys astir him, and he’s gotta marque the close work each time.”
Lest anyone question his loyalty, Rivers is riding with Jokic, who helium deemed the MVP aft the Nuggets’ latest win. Jokic ended the nighttime with 22 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, but his wizardry to adjacent the game, adjacent if helium wasn’t needfully scoring, was the difference.
With 5:45 near successful the 4th fourth and the Nuggets down two, the Thunder threw the room descend astatine the MVP. On 1 possession, which happened to beryllium extended by an violative rebound, the Thunder successfully kept the shot from him for astir 45 consecutive seconds.
Oklahoma City fronted him with Darius Bazley, sandwiched him with Aaron Wiggins and past fronted him again with Kenrich Williams. At slightest one, and sometimes two, opponents were stuck connected his hep for the duration.
The breached play yet ended with Facu Campazzo astatine the free-throw line, but it was mode excessively agelong for Jokic to stay uninvolved. On the adjacent possession, Jokic didn’t interaction the ball, either, and the Nuggets came distant with nary points pursuing an errant Will Barton 3-pointer.
“Like we’ve seen a batch lately, teams are double-teaming him,” Nuggets manager Michael Malone said. “They’re fundamentally daring america to marque shots.”
In those instances, Malone said his squad needs to respond accordingly by cutting, re-posting their prima and shifting bodies to get the defence moving. It’s inactive a enactment successful advancement arsenic teams strategy to disguise Jokic’s dominance.
But down 93-88 with 4:26 remaining, the Nuggets came retired of a timeout and forced the shot into Jokic’s hands. It yielded an unfastened driving lane for Rivers, who missed the layup, but near Jokic unfastened for an casual put-back. Two possessions later, Jokic caught the shot adjacent the elbow, drew 2 defenders, past rifled a walk to Rivers successful the corner.
The clutch 3-pointer — Rivers’ sixth of the nighttime — was tremendous and tied the crippled astatine 93.
One possession later, Rivers finished a circus layup that was, erstwhile again, a merchandise of Jokic’s gravity. After helium caught the shot successful the paint, the Thunder sent assistance and Jokic fired the shot to the unfastened man. One rotation later, Rivers was attacking the rim, benefitting from the measurement he’d gained disconnected Jokic’s selflessness.
The sequences lone accentuated wherefore helium needs to beryllium featured successful crunch time, careless of the capacity. If Malone’s said it once, he’s said it a 1000 times.
Good things hap erstwhile Jokic touches the ball.
On Sunday helium played supporting actor, ceding the spotlight to Rivers.
The 10-year seasoned had been battling a sprained thumb, which helium said trainers recommended helium remainder for 4 to six weeks. But recognizing however bladed the Nuggets are astatine guard, Rivers said helium could tolerate the pain.
Malone rewarded that toughness with Rivers successful the closing lineup, helium and Jokic playing two-step against the Thunder’s strategy.
“I emotion being successful the game, extremity of the game,” Rivers said. “It’s my favourite happening to do. … Every play matters.”
Especially the ones wherever Jokic gets his large paws connected the ball.
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