Nikola Jokic puts Nuggets teammates on the spot this playoffs: “Not supposed to be playing this sport”

Nuggets star man Nikola Jokic did not hold back of his assessment regarding Michael Porter Jr. after the Clippers matchup.

Nikola Jokic puts Nuggets teammates on the spot this playoffs: “Not supposed to be playing this sport”

Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime to start their playoff run, and the scoreboard certainly indicates that it was a successful evening. But let’s face it, things weren’t always easy. Despite the wild game unfolding at the Ball Arena, it is not the most talked-about news surrounding the NBA community.

It was the Nuggets star Nikola Jokic‘s post-match reaction that has made the headlines involving his teammate, Michael Porter Jr. Importantly, Jokic was left annoyed with the way Porter Jr. carried himself on the court. The Nuggets player lacked aggression and commitment throughout the game, and Jokic did not hold back.

If you’re not going to be engaged right now, then you’re not supposed to be playing this sport.

Nikola Jokic told the reporters

In Game 1, Michael Porter Jr. was hardly noticeable. He scored a poor 3 points from 4 shots. Despite his potential as a strong scoring danger, the player seemed to slip into the background. Reporters naturally asked Jokic if he would like to see more from Porter. Jokic did not hesitate and stated, “It’s not about minutes and about shots. You need to support your team.”

Jokic was clear that this is the playoffs, but he didn’t put MPJ under the bus. Going missing is not an option. He wasn’t given a $179 million contract by the Nuggets for making hot-check threes during crucial postseason situations, at least not for that reason alone. The expectations are higher in this second-apron CBA period.

Nevertheless, the Nuggets saw this win out, thanks to Jokic. He scored 29 points, dished out 12 assists, and pulled down 9 rebounds, just another day for the Joker. Jamal Murray scored 21 points, and in the extra time, Christian Braun even made a crucial three-pointer. However, that subtle tension resulting from MPJ’s disappearance? It loomed over everything.

Christian Braun opened up on a hilarious Nikola Jokic-Jeff Van Gundy moment

The Nuggets-Clippers game had it all: from drama to hilarious moments. One of the moments that went viral amongst the NBA community was Nikola Jokic’s sideline scrabble for the ball with Jeff Van Gundy. So much so that Jokic’s teammate, Christian Braun, also chimed in on this topic after the game concluded.

(JVG) looked pretty good. He held his own. He held onto the ball. It was pretty embarrassing for Jok. He’s in the weight room now.

Christian Braun told the reporters

In addition, Nuggets’ interim HC David Adelman also opened up on this matter. He praised the Timberwolves’ coach for the epic moment with Jokic. According to Adelman, it’s merely a basic illustration of how spectacular this seven-game series is going to go. Jokic will surely looking to add another win at the Ball Arena in the upcoming Game 2 of this series.

Nuggets interim HC David Adelman earlier made things clear regarding Nikola Jokic’s ‘workload’

The Denver Nuggets depend on Nikola Jokic a lot. For many, that is their largest weakness as well as their greatest strength. Jokic is the team leader in rebounding, playmaking, and scoring.

However, this also comes as a huge disadvantage to the Nuggets because one injury to the Serbian can jeopardize their position in the NBA Playoffs. The Nuggets interim HC, David Adelman, shared that he was ‘managing’ the Joker’s workload during games.

There are moments where we want to give him a break from orchestrating every possession…It’s not about taking the ball out of his hands, it’s about giving him different kinds of touches and letting others carry the creation load.

David Adelman told the media

At this stage of the league, stars like Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook stepped up and took some pressure off the Serbian. The Nuggets will require a collective effort if they are to secure the 2025 NBA title. Relying on Jokic alone won’t do any good for the Nuggets. Furthermore, relieving Jokic of his creative burden might enable him to reach his full scoring potential. He would be able to rule more clearly and reliably as a result.