Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s chances of heading to the next stage of the tournament may have gotten delayed. Despite dropping an impressive score of 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists during Game 4 of the Playoffs clash against the Los Angeles Lakers, the latter team got the better of their rivals for the first time in 11 games. Despite this, the Nuggets continue to hold a 3-1 advantage. The fans know it, and it seems like the player also knows this.

In the game’s aftermath, Jokic engaged in a presser with several media members. When discussing what was different during this matchup, the Serbian player revealed that the Lakers’ improved pace and open layups weakened the Nuggets’ defense. Highlighting that while the Lakers may be a dangerous team to be pitted against, his franchise can afford to lose 1 or 2 more games before they have to actually start worrying.

“Of course, we want to win, but I learned in horse racing: it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish” said Jokic. “We didn’t finish today really well so, hopefully we can do a better job”.

It would make sense for Nikola Jokic to make a horse analogy, especially since he has a special place in his heart for the hoofed animal. In fact, the player owns and operates his very own stable in his birthplace of Serbia. He trains the horses he owns and even prepares them well enough to compete on the race track. Jokic has often emphasized the huge number of steeds he owns, which are spread across various locations like Serbia, France and even Italy. His obsession is so big that after the Nuggets won the NBA championship in 2023, the Joker didn’t stay long enough for celebrations and immediately returned to Serbia to watch horse races.

Through his comment, Jokic highlighted that the ongoing six game series is not a battle but a war. While the Lakers may have won one battle this time, the same can’t be certain for the future.

Nikola Jokic stats vs Lakers during Game 4

While Game 4 did not go the way the Denver Nuggets would have wanted, it still brought out one the best performances from Nikola Jokic’s side. The 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists he scored brought his overall playoff triple-doubles to 18, just 13 shy of the record currently held by Magic Johnson. It also marked the 4th time in the last 10 games when he scored above 30.

While his score was high, Jokic’s shooting success saw a small drop compared to his attempts. The Joker went 10-20 in terms of his field goals, 2-5 with his three-pointers, and 11-11 with his free throws. However, the same didn’t seem to be that significant when looking at the feats he was achieving on the court. A memorable incident took place during the third quarter as the Lakers were leading by 10 points. As the ball came into his possession, the player didn’t even dribble once and instead proceeded to pass the ball to Michael Porter Jr. with one hand! His rebounds and assists certainly would have mesmerized the crowd over at the Crypto.Com Arena.

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Nikola Jokic is the X factor that has brought the Nuggets to this stage. With just one more win standing in their progression, the player may giddy up his horse during Game 5 to secure the same or play the long game.