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Nikola Jokic was having such a great game against the LA Lakers that he hit an insane buzzer-beating 3-point shot. Jokic ended the third quarter by making an almost impossible shot over Anthony Davis.
With the time close to expiring in the third quarter, Jokic had not other choice but to heave a shot from beyond the arc. Davis was draped all over him, but the shot went in as the crowd inside the Ball Arena in Denver erupted.
Davis even had to smile after Jokic made the show. The Nuggets carried a 12-point lead heading into the final period.
Here's the video of Jokic's mind-boggling shot from three:
LA Lakers' comeback came up short
Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers were down double-digits to start the fourth quarter. They slowly trimmed down the deficit throughout the final period, bringing the lead to just three points with about a minute left.
However, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets held on to get the 132-126 win and a 1-0 series lead. Jokic finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists and two blocks. It was a duel between him and Davis, who had his best game of the postseason.
Davis had 40 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks to lead the Lakers. LeBron James added 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Austin Reaves put up 23 points and eight assists. Rui Hachimura also had a huge game off the bench with 17 points in 28 minutes.
Darvin Ham made the necessary adjustments in the fourth quarter by putting Hachimura on Jokic. Davis was able to play better on the offensive end, while being the help defender on the other side. But their efforts fell short as the series moves on to Game 2 on Thursday.
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets will look for a 2-0 lead
It's questionable if the Denver Nuggets still has the momentum heading into Game 2 on Thursday. The LA Lakers' fourth quarter performance in Game 1 certainly has a lot of positives. Darvin Ham could look into putting Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic for most of Game 2.
That will give Anthony Davis all the freedom in the world to exhaust his energy scoring the ball and as a help defender. However, the Nuggets' coaching staff will make the necessary adjustments since Hachimura's impact was clear in the final period.
The Nuggets will need more production from Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. to make it more difficult for Davis on the defensive end. There's no question Jokic will adjust his game against Hachimura and continue his phenomenal postseason.
