Nikola Jokic surrounds Keyonte George like a horse in dangerous NBA play
College basketball would possibly take the highlight in March, however the concept NBA groups aren’t taking part in laborious in the run as much as the playoffs has at all times been a fallacy. Look no additional than the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz sport on Monday evening. The Jazz are taking part in out the string in one other misplaced season, and their main objective at this point is to protect their draft pick. The Nuggets have been hit with the harm bug all 12 months, however they’re nonetheless combating for seeding in the Western Conference. What might have been an afterthought matchup was a tremendous hard-fought, dramatic end that additionally included a controversial play from the sport’s greatest participant.
The Nuggets beat the Jazz, 128-125. The most memorable second of the sport occurred in the primary quarter, when Utah guard Keyonte George tried to field out Nikola Jokic for a rebound, and ended up having the NBA’s heaviest participant resting solely on his again.
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George is listed at 185 kilos. Jokic is listed at 284 kilos, with solely Zach Edey and Jusuf Nurkic (who’re each out for the season with harm) listed heavier. Watch Jokic and George battle for the rebound right here.
This is a dangerous play. Jokic is a pleasure to observe, however the stress of this season is clearly attending to him. Jokic is sick of groups taking low-cost photographs towards him, and we all saw how he reacted to Lu Dort’s dirty play towards the Thunder final week.
To me, that is a clear field out by George. He’s holding Jokic away from the rebound precisely the way you’re taught: get low, stick your butt into the offensive participant’s mid-section, and management the leverage sport as you await the rebound. Jokic falling on his again isn’t the proper method to deal with this, and it might have resulted in harm.
George regarded simply high-quality on the evening, scoring 15 of his team-high 36 factors in the fourth quarter. George virtually out-dueled Jokic and Jamal Murray (who dropped 45 factors in the win), however the Nuggets are simply too good. Maybe subsequent 12 months, Utah.
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In equity to Jokic, he will get hit tougher than anybody in half as a result of he is greater than everybody. The Thunder performed extraordinarily bodily protection on Jokic in final 12 months’s playoffs led by Alex Caruso defending him in Game 7. Caruso was giving up a lot dimension in that matchup that he basically fouled Jokic each time down the ground and dared the refs to name it. They’re solely going to name it so many occasions.
The 2026 playoffs are going to be so good, however let’s ensure that it is a protected, truthful sport for everybody.
