Nikola Jokic has to turn into Michael Jordan from ‘Last Dance’ for Game 7 according to Jalen Rose

Nikola Jokic has not had a stellar run of games for the Denver Nuggets against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1st round.

Nikola Jokic has to turn into Michael Jordan from ‘Last Dance’ for Game 7 according to Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose wants Nikola Jokic to dominate like Michael Jordan in Game 7 (Image via Firstsportz)

For much of the season, many fans and analysts believed that Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets were one of the favorites to win the NBA title this season. The Serbian was putting together the best season of his career, and the general consensus was that the 2023 champions understood how to defeat the top teams.

All that changed after the All-Star break as fans saw the team struggling to win games against lesser competition. Jokic and his teammates looked like a shell of themselves, and concerns grew. The Nuggets’ ownership decided to fix those concerns before the season ended and fired head coach Michael Malone.

Since then, they have tried to rally around interim head coach David Adelman. Facing the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round may have been easy in years past. The series started, and it became clear that the Nuggets had a task on their hands.

Defeating the Clippers was not going to be easy with players facing health problems, and after six games, they stand tied. Tonight, in the Game 6 loss, Jokic again struggled against Clippers center Ivica Zubac. Watching this performance, Inside the NBA analyst Jalen Rose had some advice.

Your best player has to come out and set the tone. And then everybody gets the chance to follow. If he doesn’t set the tone, then we are not going to win. In this case for the Joker especially playing at home, that he can be dominant.

Jalen Rose said

He started his analogy by revisiting his experience playing in a Game 7 of the playoffs, which, as shown in The Last Dance, was against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The former Detroit Pistons star made it clear that Jokic has to be like how Jordan was in that game against his team.

Nikola Jokic’s struggles against Ivica Zubac have been concerning

Nikola Jokic finished the 2024-25 regular season averaging a triple-double in points, rebounds, and assists. He finished top 3 in the league in either of those categories, which is why many have him as a clear favorite to win his fourth league MVP award.

Nikola Jokic has to lead his Denver Nuggets to win against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7
Nikola Jokic has to lead his Denver Nuggets to win against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 (Image via Open Source/X)

After six postseason games, he is averaging 25.3 points per game. That is worse than what he averaged in the 82-game regular season. To make matters worse, in the past two games, The Joker has scored 13 and 25 points.

Ivica Zubac has managed to contain his European neighbor in the playoffs, where he generally steps his game up a notch. In Game 5, his partner in crime, Jamal Murray, stepped up with a stellar effort. But the Los Angeles Clippers are a great defensive team.

They put the clamps on Murray and the others, and along with Jokic’s struggles, it cost them the game. Heading into Game 7, this cannot happen. That is why, Nikola Jokic has to step up and show everyone why he is considered to be the best basketball player in the world.

Skip Bayless believes Nuggets will win due to other factors

Game 7 will play out on Saturday, May 3rd at Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets will enjoy playing in front of their home crowd, which in itself is a blessing. But longtime analyst Skip Bayless believes another factor will also help the home team win this playoff series.

I’ll go with the Nuggets in Game 7 because 1) they’re at home and 2) you cannot trust James Harden in a Game 7 home or away.

Skip Bayless wrote

The former Undisputed host wrote this on X after what he has seen from James Harden over the years. The Los Angeles Clippers star has never had a great game when facing a do-or-die situation. Bayless believes that it will play into the hands of the Denver Nuggets to help them move to the second round.

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