Nikola Jokić Had Perfect Horse-Racing Quote to Sum Up Game 4 Loss to Lakers

Kristen Wong | Apr 28, 2024

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets couldn’t make it a full sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round playoff series on Saturday night, but Game 4’s 119-108 loss did at least give a few Nuggets players the opportunity to reflect on the series so far.

In the postgame press conference, Nuggets star Nikola Jokić shared his thoughts on his team’s performance and couldn’t help adding a kernel of horse-racing wisdom.

When asked about Denver’s slow starts through four games of the series, Jokić said, “Of course we want to win, but I learned in horse racing it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. We didn’t finish today very well, so hopefully we can do a better job.”

"I learned in horse racing it's not how you start, it's how you finish."

Nikola Jokic gives perspective on the Nuggets' starts & finishes in Round 1. 😅 pic.twitter.com/Gc1H6oJt67

— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024

Prior to Game 4, the Nuggets came back from three consecutive double-digit deficits to win the first three games of the series. A recent stunning statistic revealed that as a whole, the Lakers have led the series for 136 minutes while the Nuggets have led the series for just under 42 minutes—yet Denver still owns the clear upper hand with a 3-1 advantage.

Facing a first-round elimination and another embarrassing sweep, the Lakers were desperate for a lifeline on Saturday and got it, winning their first game against the defending champions since December 2022. LeBron James led the late surge scoring 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and Anthony Davis added 25 points and a playoff career-high-tying 23 rebounds.

Jokić enjoyed another efficient night in Game 4 with 33 rebounds, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, but the same couldn’t be said for his teammates, who visibly struggled against the Lakers’ physical and gritty defense.

The Nuggets will look to clinch the series in Game 5 on Monday.