Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets had a big night on Sunday.
The potential MVP scored 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a must-win game against the Golden State Warriors.
It was enough to stop the Warriors from sweeping the Nuggets out of the first round.
That would have made Jokic the first MVP ever to get swept in the first round of the playoffs.
One of Jokic’s biggest moments came in the closing seconds of the game.
Jokic called out the lob pass before the Warriors ran it 🔥
(h/t @TorontoCeltics ) pic.twitter.com/Wnsm8ZByKH
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 24, 2022
While sitting on the bench, Jokic watched as the Warriors attempted an inbounds pass that could result in their victory.
He called out “It’s a lob!” to his teammates, warning them of the Warriors’ intentions.
Sure enough, Golden State tried for an easy lob but were shut down by Austin Rivers of the Nuggets, thanks to Jokic’s heads-up awareness.
That’s some MVP-caliber leadership right there.
A 3-1 Series
The Nuggets are now down 3-1 against the Warriors.
That’s still a horrible position to be in and the chances of them turning it around and winning the series are beyond slim.
However, they won’t be swept and that counts for something.
The Nuggets are still a team missing a few of their biggest components.
While Jokic is a terrific player – one of the best in the league – the team desperately needs the power of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, who are still out with injuries.
Those two are likely to return next season and that’s when the Nuggets will be living up to their true potential.
Jokic has shown again and again how special he is – he has earned MVP honors.
But there is no doubt that the team he is carrying will be so much better when next season begins.
NEXT: Nikola Jokic Is Doing All He Can And It's Not Enough