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“I Was in Shock”: Utterly Disappointed Charles Barkley Dismantles Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets for ‘Coming Out Flat’ vs Miami Heat in Game 2

Published 06/05/2023, 5:30 AM EDT

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While fans expected a series sweep from the Denver Nuggets after the Game 1 domination, the Miami Heat hit back with a fitting reply in Game 2. The Nuggets have been an unstoppable force throughout the postseason with only three losses, but the underwhelming performance in Sunday night’s game raised a few eyebrows in the hoops community. It wasn’t any different for the NBA legend Charles Barkley, as he ripped apart Nikola Jokic’s teammates and trashed them during the post-game analysis. 

Jamal Murray and Jokic have been the central story behind the Nuggets’ first-ever Finals appearance. Notably, Murray’s emotional comeback story laid the foundation for the top-seeded team’s dominance. However, fans raised questions regarding the team’s underwhelming defense and sloppiness on the court on Sunday. Barkley echoed their opinions on Live TV.

Charles Barkley rips apart Nikola Jokic & Co

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Charles Barkley always has a knack for putting his thoughts out in front of the camera as if he has nothing to lose. The 60-year-old NBA legend has delivered some harsh comments in the past and has continued to do the same as he dismantled the Nuggets after the loss. He pointed his finger at the core Nuggets players including Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and demanded a ‘Step up’ from the trio. 

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Apart from this, he also said, “Denver Nuggets, they got to realize, this ain’t a regular season game.” Even though the Nuggets registered only their fourth loss in the postseason compared to Heat’s 7 losses, Barkley seemed surprised by the performance. He further said, “You guys are trying to win the Championship… I was in shock.”

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Interestingly, Chuck had a different take than the rest of the world on the Nuggets head coach, Michael Malone. While fans went furious over him for not taking a timeout at the end of the game, Barkley pointed out Malone’s ‘attention to detail’ comment and said, “They [Nuggets] didn’t listen… it came out flat.” Nonetheless, as has been the case throughout the postseason, Miami somehow managed to win a crucial game on the road.

The Heat came back with a befitting reply

Miami’s run has been an underdog story right from round-1 of the postseason. After losing Game 1 in embarassing fashion, the Heat replied with a massive victory. Gabe Vincent and Jimmy Butler led the Heat’s offense with 23 and 21 points respectively. On the other hand, Bam Adebayo facilitated the team with rebounds and assists. Now, the teams’ focus will shift to Game 3 as the series moves to Miami.

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What do you make of Charles Barkley’s comments on the Nuggets’ performance on Sunday? Will the Denver Nuggets snatch home-court advantage back from Miami? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, where he brings his passion for sports and entertainment journalism to life. With a Master's Degree in journalism from a reputed institute and years of experience in the industry, Shahul always strives to provide insightful and astute coverage of the NBA to the fans. Shahul's love for sports writing dates back to his college days.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth