'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have dominated the LA Lakers over the past two seasons. Apart from sweeping the team in the playoffs last year, Denver has won 11 straight games against LeBron James and the Lakers. The most recent LA win was on Dec. 2022 win, where Russell Westbrook had a triple-double.
The stretch of dominance by Denver has served as a masterclass, with the team showing time and time again that they may simply have the Lakers' number. The way Nikola Jokic sees things, though, when you repeatedly defeat a team, it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.
As he explained following the team's 112-105 win over LA, repeated success can result in a team becoming overly comfortable and bored. When that happens, Jokic knows things can go wrong fast.
While some players may feel increasingly confident with each addition to their win streak, the reigning Finals MVP believes that each game gets progressively tougher.
"To be honest, I think every game is tougher and tougher. You can see, they were up 20 in Denver, in Game 2. They were up 12 today in the first half. But yeah, I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get bored with the style of the play or whatever.
"So you just need to — especially for us, because we won the last three — just trust what we are doing and don’t get bored with success. Because it can (go) wrong really quick.”
Looking at Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets' recent stretch of domination against the LA Lakers
As previously mentioned, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets recently extended their series record to 3-0 against the LA Lakers. As Jokic pointed out, while this sounds like complete domination, the Lakers were up by 20 in Game 2 on the road.
Moreover, in Game 3, the Lakers were up by 12 in the first half at home, making it clear that the team is still a threat. Nevertheless, the Nuggets have continued to pick up win after win, even when facing adversity.
While many have chalked the 3-0 start to the postseason up to the Lakers' struggles, pushing the blame on coach Darvin Ham, the Nuggets have impressed in their own right.
In the Game 3 win, Jokic and Aaron Gordon became the first players in postseason history to record 20+ points and 15+ rebounds on 65% from the field. Given that the team picked up right where they left off last season, many have wondered what has been fueling the team's success.
The way Nikola Jokic explained things, winning is a lifestyle. After playing through a number of years where the Nuggets weren't playoff contenders, he wants to ensure that they don't regress back to mediocrity.
With the chance to close out the series on the road on Saturday, the stakes couldn't be higher for both teams.
