Kevin Garnett Sides With Dwight Howard As Lakers Lose 10 Straight to Nikola Jokic

Published 04/24/2024, 12:37 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost game two of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, and have struggled to contain Nikola Jokic. The Lakers surrendered a 20-point lead and lost the game 101-99 to a buzzer-beater. LeBron James missed a 3-pointer with less than 15 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. Which led to a turnover for the Nuggets and Jamal Murray ended the game with a 2-pointer. Dwight Howard had previously stated how the Lakers weren’t doing enough to stop the Joker and Co.

Another NBA legend agreed to Howard‘s sentiment as he too criticized the way The Purple & Gold were defending. Kevin Garnett on his Instagram Story reshared a clip of Dwight Howard and DH12 Above The Rim podcast. Where Howard singled out the key factor the Lakers were missing. Garnett in his story wrote, ” Man 😤😤💯 I said this….MINDSET… that’s all😤😤😤💯It’s level to it all 🤝🫡💯”

Jokic ended up with 27 Points, 20 Rebounds, and 10 Assists. Also, this was his first triple-double this playoff season but overall he has the greatest number of triple-doubles in NBA playoff game history. He leads the chart with 4, and Wilt Chamberlain at 2 comes second on the list. If the Joker continues to perform at this level he might even be the face of the NBA once LeBron retires. Howard is hopeful just like any other Lakers fan and is hoping his former team turns it around. He even shared his mantra to stop the Joker.

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Dwight Howard vs Nikola Jokic

The Superman on his Instagram uploaded a video and explained how he managed to somewhat nullify the Joker’s terror. Jokic only averaged 21.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists against Howard in the 2020 Western Conference match where Howard was marking the Nuggets Center. But since the 2020-21 season, Jokic has averaged 26.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 9.4 assists in 17 games.

Howard explained how he was watching and learned about Jokic’s right-hand hook play and was ready to counter it.” I watched all his stuff and then I started studying his mentality what he was doing off the court.”

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A post shared by Dwight Howard (@dwighthoward)

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He also used to speak with other players and coaches to understand more about Jokic. “..Just so I can have a mental edge. People think I’m joking and having a good time, they don’t realize I’m ready to kill...”

Going back to the Lakers, they still have a chance at turning the tide. Denver will need two more wins to sweep the series, but LeBron James and Co. very well have the option to deny them that chance. But the Nuggets are the champions for a reason.

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Written by:

Pranav Kotai is an NBA beat writer at EssentiallySports. With a master's in sports management and a lifelong passion for basketball, Pranav has an eye for understanding NBA like no other. Pranav is an open encyclopedia of all storylines, with a well-rounded approach to his writing, especially for his favorites like NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

Edited by:

Caroline Joseph

Kevin Garnett Sides With Dwight Howard As Lakers Lose 10 Straight to Nikola Jokic

Dwight Howard vs Nikola Jokic

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