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“Gave Me Complete Hell”: Draymond Gets Brutally Honest About Nikola Jokic After Disheartening Warriors Loss

Published 02/26/2024, 11:07 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Yesterday, the Denver Nuggets faced a resurgent Golden State Warriors’ side, who had won 8 out of their last 9 games. However, the Dubs were no match for the reigning champions, as the Nuggets won by a scoreline of 119-103. Despite impressive outings from Jamal Murray (27 points) and Aaron Gordon (17 points), it was 2x NBA MVP Nikola Jokić who truly shined and stole the spotlight.

The Serbian big man recorded his 18th triple-double of the season. He recorded an astonishing stat line of 32 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists during the game. Following the devastating defeat to the Nuggets, Warriors’ stalwart Draymond Green provided a brutally honest assessment of his performance against the Nuggets, particularly highlighting his battle against Jokic in his YouTube podcast show.

Draymond admitted that Jokic completely outplayed him during their latest matchup. He said, “I’ve had my fair share of good matchups against Joker. I’ve given him a little bit of hell on some nights, but he gave me total and complete hell tonight. I had absolutely no answers and I’m just going to laugh about it because either you laugh or you cry.”

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While Nikola Jokic recorded his 18th triple-double of the season, Draymond Green could only manage to score 7 points in 27 minutes of playing time. The 33-year-old veteran has mostly played as a center this season, maintaining averages of 9.4 points (his highest since the 2017-18 season), along with 6.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists across 32 games. Despite succumbing to a loss against Denver, the Dubs’ recent performances have given the Bay Area faithful some hope that their beloved team could make a deep playoff run.

Are the Warriors still a legitimate title contender?

After a disappointing first half of the season, the Warriors have shown character and determination to bounce back. Their recent run of impressive performances has thrust them back into playoff contention. However, their hold on the last play-in spot is tenuous, with the Utah Jazz trailing them by just two wins. Having said that, the Dubs have the better players and seem to be a more cohesive fit together.

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Furthermore, the emergence of youngsters such as Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga has revitalized the roster. With Stephen Curry still performing at an All-NBA level, fans are hopeful about the Warriors’ potential to be formidable contenders in the playoffs. Can the Warriors compete for the 2024 NBA title? Let us know in the comments below!

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Written by:

Dushyant Singh

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One take at a time

Dushyant Singh is an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Ever since the Lakers’ Orlando Bubble victory, he has maintained a vigilant eye on the NBA with his research-heavy perspective, along with a specialization in covering predictive lineups. He keenly observes the evolving narratives that unfold each season.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja