Jokic Pushes Nuggets Past Spurs in Game 7, but What About Lillard, Portland?

For the first time since 2009, the Denver Nuggets have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs. And despite shooting 9-of-26 from the field in Denver's 90-86 Game 7 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, they have Nikola Jokic to thank for it.

"He's magnificent," San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said following his team's season-ending loss. "I'll just leave it at that."

Jokic wrapped up his first playoff series with another triple-double, going for 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. He also added three blocks and a steal, capping a postseason debut in which he was the centerpiece for the Nuggets on both ends of the floor.

All told, Jokic finished with 162 points, 85 rebounds and 64 assists in seven games, for averages of 23.1, 12.1 and 9.1.

"Is it something that I live for? No," Jokic said when asked about the historical significance of his numbers. "It's just really good stats."

And therein lies the essence of Jokic. A statistical anomaly who doesn't care about the numbers he puts up. "And win," was his first response to the question. The numbers are great. And they're fun to read. But performances like this are just what have come to be expected of Jokic, even if they've never happened before.

Oscar Robertson's the only player in NBA history to hit all three marks in his first seven playoff games, according to Basketball Reference. Prior to Jokic, no one had done it in a single first-round series, regardless of experience. In fact, no one's ever done that in any seven-game series.

"I can't take him out," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said of Jokic, who played 44 minutes in Game 7. "Even when he's not making shots, he has a tremendous impact on the game."

By the end of Game 7, Jokic was plus-24 in a series Denver outscored San Antonio by 13 points.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Now, Denver turns its attention to Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers for a battle between this postseason's two best players so far.

Jokic and Lillard are first and second, respectively, in 2019 playoff Wins Over Replacement Player, per Basketball Reference. And both had signature performances in closeout games.

We last saw Lillard in action after he hit a 36-foot buzzer beater to eliminate Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a ridiculous shot that served as an exclamation on a 50-point performance. His postseason averages are about on the level of Jokic's: 33 points, 6.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Apart from the occasional switch, these two won't spend any time on each other. But make no mistake, that's the superstar matchup. And during the regular season, Denver did about as well as anyone in trying to contain Lillard.

In his four matchups against the Nuggets, Lillard averaged 21.3 points while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three. All three of those numbers were significantly lower than the numbers he put up against everyone else (26.1, 44.8 percent and 37.3 percent).

"I love competing against Dame," Jamal Murray said after the game. "He's a competitor. He goes at you. He doesn't disrespect you. He plays for his team and his city."

Murray and Gary Harris will be tasked with slowing Lillard and his backcourt mate, CJ McCollum. Malik Beasley, Torrey Craig and others will get their shots as well. But if Denver can slow those guys down, it'll give itself a chance.

Jokic, meanwhile, has owned the Blazers. He averaged 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.0 assists, while shooting 62 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three. And Portland's defensive anchor, Jusuf Nurkic, was available in those games.

And while Enes Kanter was able to hold his own defensively against the Thunder, Steven Adams is not Jokic. And when the Nuggets repeatedly put him in inverted pick-and-rolls, when he has to cover a ball-handling Jokic, the Blazers' defense will be tested.

An upset isn't out of the question, though. Portland actually had a better Simple Rating System than Denver (SRS combines point differential and strength of schedule into one number). And in the nightmarish Western Conference, anything seems possible.

But the Nuggets have a player with a combination of skills almost no one in the history of basketball has possessed. And he doesn't look even a little shaken by the moment.