“Acting like Ray Lewis hit him” – Nikola Jokic might be best in the world but fans can’t tolerate terrible flopping

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic had a tougher battle against Los Angeles Clippers in game 2 of their 1st round playoff series.

“Acting like Ray Lewis hit him” – Nikola Jokic might be best in the world but fans can’t tolerate terrible flopping

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic flopped in game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers

Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets performed brilliantly in the first game of their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. That also meant that they had to be wary of a response. Losing at home was not the best way to fly to the West Coast.

Ahead of the game, much of the chatter centered around the lackluster performance of Michael Porter Jr. Jokic believed his star teammate needed to pull up his socks if he had to contribute to their efforts to move on to the next round.

In tonight’s game two, Porter Jr. responded with a solid double-double performance. But that was not enough as the Denver Nuggets could not open up a decent lead. The Clippers kept the Nuggets within reach and answered shot for shot with the clock winding down.

With one and a half minutes left, the Clippers held a three-point lead. To counter that, Jokic scored off two free throws to reduce the deficit to one point. Then on the next possession, the ball was with James Harden.

The former league MVP dribbled to his left and tried to create space by lowering his shoulder into Nikola Jokic‘s chest. The Serbian fell backwards and slid on the floor. Even the commentators called out that it was a flop, as it was evident that the big man would not go crashing that way after such a mild hit.

Thankfully, officials did not react to it. Jokic continued to try and sell the foul, but by then, the Clippers called timeout and reset their gameplan. Ultimately, that flop did not help and the Denver Nuggets could not close the gap to lose the game 102-105.

Fans lose their minds watching Nikola Jokic flopping

This game two of the first-round playoff series was an instant classic. Basketball fans appreciated how the two teams went toe-to-toe and kept each other humble. They also appreciated how the stars elevated their game so that they have a fighting chance.

But they were dismayed when they saw Nikola Jokic of all people flopping. Flopping has become a major problem in the NBA. But no fan expected the otherwise composed and brilliant Joker to resort to flops. They were appalled that he tried to sell it. Fans vented their frustrations on social media, examples of which are below.

Nikola Jokic knows that it is not easy to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers. They have enough players to give any team a good battle. With the way Kawhi Leonard was playing, Jokic knew there was no way to come back from that small deficit.

Kawhi Leonard puts up a masterpiece

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard is not a stranger to big moments. He is a two-time NBA Champion and 2x Time NBA Finals MVP for a reason. But over the past few seasons, his health has not helped him to continue to play at that level.

Many doubted if Leonard could come up big in the playoffs after the Nuggets swarmed him in game 1. But that was not going to be the story of this game. Leonard started the game strong and already had 21 points to his name by half-time.

Then in the second half, he continued his assault with his midrange game. That became too much for the Denver Nuggets as they struggled to stop him. The six-time All-Star finished with 39 points, 5 assists and 2 steals.

The last of those steals clinched the game as he extended his arms to intercept Nikola Jokic’s pass. From them on, neither team scored, and the Clippers now head home with the series tied. The likes of Stephen A. Smith might have to retract some of his words on First Take.