Nikola Jokić’s statement on the execution of the victory attempt
On Tuesday evening, The Denver Nuggets gave up into the loss column with a narrow path loss at hands of the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets had a chance to win this game late, down by one point with seven seconds left, and Jamal Murray predictably handed the ball to the superstar Nikola Jokic in fasting to go to work.
However, to the surprise of many fans, instead of shooting, Jokić decided to throw the ball into the opposite corner to Peyton Watson, an unknown three-point shooter. Watson’s buzzer-beater shot went on and off, and many were left baffled that Jokic made such a decision.
However, after the game, Jokić defended his choice to play for an open shot.
“I think it’s a real play, and I would do it again,” he said, per Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette on X, formerly Twitter.
Similar to LeBron James, Jokic has occasionally been criticized for missing too many crunch time shots in favor of a seemingly “better” look for one of his teammates.
This recently happened to James, who saw his double-digit scoring streak end when he decided to pass the ball to Rui Hachimura in a game against the Toronto Raptors that ended up working, as Hachimura sank the game-winner.
However, unlike Hachimura, Watson is typically a player that opposing defenses are comfortable leaving open beyond the arc, which made Jokic’s decision to pass to him in that spot even more perplexing.
Still, the Nuggets are in a good place overall, currently sitting at 21-8 on the season. He will next take the floor on Christmas night in a home game against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. That game is scheduled to begin at 10:30 PM ET.
2025-12-24 16:35:00
