In the second-round tiebreaker, the Nuggets suffered a crushing 93-125 away defeat to the Thunder, eliminated with a 3-4 overall score. In this game, Jokic played 37 minutes, shooting 5-of-9 from the field, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line, totaling 20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, with a plus-minus of -23.
Jokic has now competed in the NBA for 10 seasons, reaching the playoffs in 7 of them. Let’s review Jokic's personal performance and the team's results in the playoffs:
This marked Jokic's first playoff campaign. The Nuggets narrowly eliminated the Spurs 4-3 in the first round but were eliminated 3-4 by the Trail Blazers in the second round. In Game 3 of the second round, after four overtime battles, the Nuggets ultimately fell 137-140.
Jokic's stats (14 games): 39.8 minutes per game, 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.9 blocks, shooting 50.6/39.3/84.6%.
The Nuggets overcame a 1-3 deficit in the first round to stun the Jazz 4-3, then repeated the feat by rallying from 1-3 to eliminate the Clippers 4-3 in the second round. Their magic ended in the Western Conference Finals, where they were gentleman-swept 1-4 by the Lakers.
Jokic's stats (19 games): 36.5 minutes per game, 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks, shooting 51.9/42.9/83.5%.
The Nuggets avenged the Trail Blazers 4-2 in the first round but were swept 0-4 by the Suns in the second round.
Jokic's stats (10 games): 34.5 minutes per game, 29.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.9 blocks, shooting 50.9/37.7/83.6%.
This season saw Jokic's shortest playoff run, as they were defeated 4-1 in the first round by the eventual champion Warriors led by Curry.
Jokic's stats (5 games): 34.2 minutes per game, 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks, shooting 57.5/27.8/84.8%.
In this season, Jokic won his first and so far only championship. The Nuggets swept the Timberwolves 4-1 in the first round, avenged the Suns 4-2 in the second round, swept the Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals, and defeated the Heat 4-1 in the Finals.
Jokic's stats (20 games): 39.5 minutes per game, 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.0 blocks, shooting 54.8/46.1/79.9%. His historic performance earned him the FMVP without controversy.
After losing key contributors like Bruce Brown, Bones Hyland, and Jeff Green, the Nuggets' lack of bench depth became evident. They swept the Lakers 4-1 in the first round but lost 3-4 to the energetic Timberwolves in the second round.
Jokic's stats (12 games): 40.2 minutes per game, 28.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.7 blocks, shooting 54.5/26.4/90.1%.
The Nuggets' weak bench issue worsened this season. They narrowly defeated the Clippers 4-3 in a grueling first-round series but couldn't withstand the Thunder's youth movement in the second round, losing 3-4 in seven games.
Jokic's stats (14 games): 40.2 minutes per game, 26.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 2.0 steals, shooting 48.9/38.0/77.2%.
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