Billed as the battle of MVP, it required a clutch shot to settle game 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic were the top scorers on the day for their respective teams. However, the Nuggets center created history with his 40+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 5+ assists, a feat only achieved by 3 other players in the playoffs. Apart from stats, 3x MVP also dominated headlines with his fired-up sideline moment, which Charles Barkley and others endorsed.

The TNT cameras captured a moment during the second quarter, when the Joker was really animated. The ever-so-cool and composed Jokic was in the huddle, rallying his teammates while his teammates looked on with purpose. At the time, they were behind by 7 points, but would outscore OKC 71-59 in the 2nd half. Previously, Charles Barkley praised the moment and the Serbian for stepping up.

“But in the last month, he has been doing that. So it goes back obviously, coach is important but the Joker’s like ‘No, no, no, this is my team, we gonna keep winning’ because he’s the one constant, and it’s great to watch, man.” It’s not the first time that the 30-year-old assumed a role on the sidelines. It also happened back in April, during the Nuggets’ 124-116 road win over the Sacramento Kings. During a third-quarter timeout, Nikola Jokic snatched the whiteboard from interim coach David Adelman and explained plays to his teammates.

It’s not just Charles Barkley who applauded the Serbian for stepping up in game 1. “They’re all dialed, they are listening, they are glued,” said Chandler Parsons. “Whatever he is saying, and this is just this leadership, and this is exactly what Jokic has to do. When you fire a Mike Malone, now you look to your best player, and in moments like this in the playoffs, a new interim coach who obviously maybe he sticks around, maybe he doesn’t, but this is Jokic’s team no matter who the coach is.”

Nuggets fired Malone with three regular-season games left, with David Adelman promoted from assistant coach to interim. He has been with the team since 2017, but Parsons feel it was imperative that the Joker took control: “So to see this, to see him lead and be vocal, you know you’re going to get the stats, you get the points, the assists, the rebounds, triple doubles. This is a whole other aspect of his game that he can take to the next level and literally lead his team to victory.”

Despite strong Charles Barkley stance, Coach Adelman sends a clear message to Nikola Jokic’s viral act

Many feel that Malone’s firing has invoked feelings in the Joker, which is why the ever-so-calm superstar is now directing the traffic. But the 7x All-Star maintained his stance that his vocal presence on the sidelines isn’t a new phenomenon, but rather a continuation of leadership he’s displayed all season. Jokic said: “I think I was vocal, I was talking to the guys, and I always say if I see something and I think it can help the group, I’m going to always say it. So I think the media is just kind of pumping up the story a little bit.”

On similar lines, Coach Adelman supported Jokic despite other claims by Charles Barkley and Chandler Parsons. “I mean, I think it gets you focus on schematics. You don’t have to go in and rally the group to stay together in tough moments.” He continued, “You brought up Nikola, the intensity of the game, people calming him down, him calming other people down, you need that. So when I step in there, we can just talk about trying to win the game, not trying to balance egos or any of that stuff.”

Even if Coach Adelman is new to the role, he is not new to the franchise. The same thing works for with Nikola Jokic. Both understand what the team needs and help the team whenever required. For the Joker, even if it means going beyond scoring, he’s willing to step for for his team.