Nuggets Player: Nikola Jokic Had Anthony Davis 'In Shambles'

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was a tough matchup for Lakers star Anthony Davis

The Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers, and Nikola Jokic took home the Western Conference Finals MVP award. It was another dominant showing for Jokic, who presented problems that the Lakers had no answer for.

While Lakers star Anthony Davis is an elite defensive big, he was unable to slow Jokic down at all in the Western Conference Finals. According to Nuggets guard Bruce Brown, Jokic had Davis "in shambles" during that series:

“[Nikola Jokic] had [Anthony Davis] in shambles last round. AD didn’t know what to do.”

— Bruce Brown on the Jokic’s dominant series against the Lakers and Anthony Davis 😳

(via @SiriusXMNBA) pic.twitter.com/AvlLd0mnM4

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 1, 2023

According to the NBA's matchup data, Davis defending Jokic for 128 possessions last round (25:11 matchup minutes), surrendering 44 points on 51.5% shooting. As Brown noted, Davis did not know what to do with the Nuggets big man, who also dished out 25 assists in those possessions. 

The Jokic vs. Davis matchup is one that many were looking forward to entering the Western Conference Finals, and the Nuggets big man absolutely dominated it. This was a big reason why the series only went four games, as Denver was able to get whatever they wanted offensively on most possessions, which stemmed from the generational play they got out of the center position every night.

Now shifting their focus to the Miami Heat, Denver will begin their NBA Finals series on Thursday night at home. While it has already been an impressive run for the Nuggets, they are not satisfied with an NBA Finals appearance.

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