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Nikola Jokic Makes History in Game 1 vs. Heat

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic shined in NBA Finals Game 1

Joey Linn

Nikola Jokic Makes History in Game 1 vs. Heat
Nikola Jokic Makes History in Game 1 vs. Heat /
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It has been a historic playoff run for Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic, who continues to make history on a nightly basis. In the first half of Thursday night's Game 1 matchup with the Miami Heat, Jokic made history by joining LeBron James as the only other player in the last 25 years with at least 10 points and 10 assists in any half of an NBA Finals game.

As ESPN noted, it took James until his 42nd career NBA Finals game to accomplish the feat, while Jokic did it in his first. It has been that kind of run for Jokic this postseason, who finished the Game 1 victory with 27 PTS, 14 AST, and 10 REB on an efficient 8/12 from the field.

With the triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jokic joined Jason Kidd as the only other player in NBA history with a triple-double in their Finals debut. As previously mentioned, this is the level Jokic has been at all postseason long, with the historical numbers getting more exclusive as the run has continued.

More importantly than the individual dominance for Jokic in this opening game of the Finals, was Denver picking up the win. This is all Jokic and his teammates care about, as they are now three away from being crowned NBA champions for the first time.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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