Unleashes Controversial Take: Nikola Jokic makes shocking comment about L.A, as Lakers Star Makes Strong Statement Before Facing Nuggets
On Saturday evening, the Denver Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers in Colorado for Game 1 of the NBA playoffs.
Last season, the Nuggets played the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Despite several games being close, the Nuggets swept the Lakers (their only sweep of the 2023 NBA playoffs).
However, Nikola Jokic made an intriguing comment when he met with the media on Wednesday (h/t Vic Lombardi of AltitudeTV).
Jokic on last year against the Lakers: “It was probably the toughest series that we had.”
Before winning the 2023 NBA Championship, the Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (in five games), Phoenix Suns (in six games), Lakers (in four games) and Miami Heat (in five games).
It’s possible that the Lakers were the best team they faced, but considering how well the Nuggets played, Jokic’s comment is extremely noteworthy.
Jokic finished the regular season with averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 58.3% from the field and 35.9% from the three-point range in 79 games.
The Nuggets are the second seed in the Western Conference and had a 57-25 record.
They have gone 6-4 over their last ten games and are an excellent 33-8 in 41 games at home.
As for the Lakers, they are the seventh seed after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament.
They finished the regular season with a 47-35 record and are also in the middle of a three-game winning streak.
The franchise won the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat.
Lakers Star Makes Strong Statement Before Facing Nuggets
Lakers vs. Nuggets should be fun
The Los Angeles Lakers understand how tough the Denver Nuggets have been for them to beat over the last two seasons. That said, this is a confident group that believes they have a chance against anybody.
Speaking with Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Lakers star Anthony Davis said, “If they beat us, they beat us. We’re not ducking the smoke.”
The Athletic also shared comments from LeBron James, who said, “It’s the defending champion,. They know what it takes. They know how to win. They’ve been extremely dominant on their home floor over the last few years. They’ve got an MVP on their team. They’ve got a closer on their team. They’ve got high-level players, high-IQ players. And they’ve got a hell of a coach.”
As James mentioned, not only are the Nuggets simply a dominant team, but they are especially dominant on their home floor. This makes it even more difficult for the Lakers, since they will again not have home court advantage against Denver.
In the same way the Lakers respect the Nuggets, the defending champions are certainly not overlooking Los Angeles. Nikola Jokic has been clear that any previous matchups against this team mean nothing when it comes to how this series will play out, and his teammates also understand that this is a clean slate for both teams.
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