“Tower of Power” NBA Analyst Lauds Denver Nuggets Center For Clutch Performance Against Jazz

The Denver Nuggets pulled off a massive comeback from 3-1 down to upset the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. After game 4. the Nuggets genuinely looked outmatched. However, coach Mike Malone made changes to their strategy and the results followed. While Jamal Murray is to thank for leading the Nuggets with heroic performances, his shot dried up in game 7.

The responsibility fell on the only All-NBA player on the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic. Jokic had an underwhelming season, but his underwhelming is a level many modern NBA centers cannot reach. He elevated in game 7 by scoring 30 of Denver’s 80 points, including the crucial go-ahead bucket to win the team.

NBA Analyst Skip Bayless was impressed by how Jokic performed in game seven, in the absence of Jamal Murray. Murray had a down game, scoring just 17 points on 33% shooting efficiency.

“There was a whole lot of choking going on out there… The stage was too big for everyone except that big man in Denver. The Joker has played pro basketball for a long time. He started when he was 14 in Europe and the stage wasn’t too big for him. He ended up being the tower of power, the one guy who was a cool customer and he made the shot down the stretch.”

Denver Nuggets facing the LA Clippers in conference semi-finals

The Nuggets will face the LA Clippers next. The Clippers came out of a hard-fought series against the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. Now they will face the Denver Nuggets, who looked visibly drained by the end of game 7. Their fatigue and conditioning are under question, while the Clippers have gotten some crucial days to regroup from their first-round series.

The Clippers have the weapons to contain Jamal Murray. Murray had three games under 20 points in the Utah series, showing that he is fallible. Jokic has taken the back-seat to the streaky Murray, but he will be expected to take on a more commanding role for this series.

The Nuggets are young, while the Clippers are the favorites. However, is this the year that the Nuggets can exit the label of being young and be genuine title contenders?