Nikola Jokic on What Nuggets NEED to do to WIN Game 7 vs OKC Thunder

Nikola Jokic on What Nuggets NEED to do to WIN Game 7 vs OKC Thunder

Nicola, often times you never know where a win is going to come from. Just how surprised, how happy were you for Julian Strawler to have the moment that he had this? Yes. I mean, he was amazing. He was amazing. Uh he had a big big uh big points, a big big moments in a game, a big big rebound or one or two. two. Um, yeah, it was it was a it was a it was a great great game for him. I think CB played really good. Damn played really good. Our defense was really good, I think, most of the game. So, I think that’s why we won a game. Nicole, how would you describe the way this series has evolved and what are you expecting it to be like in game seven? I mean uh it’s interesting you know I think uh you know some seems like um I think this is the first time we we had the lead even the last game and they took it in the end I think we even game four we had the lead and they took it. This is the first game that we kind of had lead and we we finished the game. Uh it’s interesting, you know, it’s uh hopefully hopefully it’s going to be hopefully it’s going to be a close one. What did you think about the tone that Jamal set especially considering that he wasn’t feeling well going into this? Uh I think that that doesn’t really change anything. His approach is going to be the same. So uh he opened the game really good uh for us and he set the tone that I think was he his illness affected him at all. So when you play the game I think you don’t you don’t think about what you have or whatever is a problem your problem you have. Nola in the over here in the second quarter uh you guys the you guys had the lead and kind of slipped. Aaron and Peyton came out and they drew a bunch of fouls and that got them in the bonus and got a bunch of fouls on those guys. How do you feel like the aggressiveness in drawing those fouls tonight helped you guys get control of the game? Definitely. Definitely. Definitely helping. You know, I think this is the first time you didn’t have offensively fouls in this series. So, that’s that’s helpful. Um they they were good, you know. I think they’re attacking the attacking in the downhill. Not just the score, I think because we know they’re coming, they’re they’re protecting paint. You know, we can we can get open looks and uh and and then shoot them. You know, getting downhill is something that um will help us a lot during this season. Nola, um what what goes into whether you would rather start the fourth quarter and just keep playing the entire second half or no, it’d be better if you rested just a little bit. To be honest, I don’t know. Sometimes it sort of just feels maybe I should just play and sometimes like I don’t know it it doesn’t really have a pattern, you know. What was tonight different than than game five? Uh I really don’t know. I can I really don’t have an answer for that. Nicole, uh, Isaiah Herstein was saying that Thunder’s locker room him after that he felt like you guys were setting a little bit more off ball screens over the past couple games and that, you know, you found a little bit more of a rhythm with that. Do you feel like that has helped open things up for you a little bit scoring wise the past couple nights, couple games? Uh, yeah, probably yes. Probably yes. You know, I think it’s uh I think we we we we play through me through me a lot and we we set cross screen. Uh when I’m handling the people setting screen for me and I’m setting screens, it’s a posttop catch and shoot. So I think we have I mean it’s I think that’s how we play and maybe maybe we played it. I didn’t know this to be honest personally, but I think we we probably did a lot to help us for Nicl, how often are you and coach Adam talking about different things, different schemes offensively, defensively, and how much do you appreciate him going to you for that input? Uh to benefit a lot uh to be honest, he even when I we are texting even when I when I see something, I can I don’t have a like I can just text him and ask him a question what he thinks about it and he you know he’s I think we have a great uh communication communication and relationship. So, uh, he’s been good right now. I don’t know. Nicola, how much are you looking forward to having that that extra day off between now and game seven? And how much good is that going to do you guys? I mean, hopefully we’re going to rest a little bit because we’re playing seven, six, 13 really hard games in back, not back to play, but like every other day. So, hopefully hopefully we’re going to have some rest and uh get ready for the game. Nicola, um I think if my math’s correct, you these two teams have played 10 times this year and you both won five. How much difference is there between these two teams in your mind? And between us and the OKC Thunder and I mean, how evenly are you matched and and what will it come down to in game seven to determine the winner as far as you’re concerned? Probably defense. I think probably defense details uh rebounding for us especially because how the how much they attacking the glass uh turnovers for us uh you know all the you know depends how the game is open up if we slow down and uh uh put if they start running you know I think it’s um depends how the games opens up you know if they because they want to push the pace they want to drive they want to drive and kick they want find open looks and we kind of want to maybe a little bit slower game uh that get open looks differently. So, it’s I think it’s interesting to to watch and uh I think the details is going to the deep defense box out turnovers that’s going to probably probably uh decide the winner. What does it take just for you guys to kind of be as comfortable as you are playing from behind in a game or a series? Is that something that is just all of the years of experience kind of added up or or why are you guys kind of as comfortable as you are in certain situations? I mean last three games we were up the whenever we were but I think just being in situations like that um knowing that we can get uh back in a game no matter how much was if you lose it by 30 it’s hard but if it’s like 10 15 I think we are we know that we can come back we just need to be focused and discipline just being in those situation being u together in those probably experience I would say that Not good anymore. Thanks. Pleasure. Warm and sunny tomorrow. Cool day.

Nikola Jokic Press Conference After Nikola Jokic & Denver Nuggets WIN Game 6 vs OKC Thunder to Force GAME 7 in Oklahoma City after Julian Stawther Goes OFF along with Christian Braun & Jamal Murray

#nba #denvernuggets #nuggets #basketball #nikolajokic #jokic #okcthunder #nbaplayoffs