“Did that change anything?” - Nikola Jokic reveals conversation with David Adelman on playing entire 4th quarter

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic revealed his conversation with interim coach David Adelman during the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the OKC Thunder on Tuesday. Jokic played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting. However, the rest of the team wasn’t there, combining for six points on a collective 1-for-15 shooting in the fourth.

Their poor fourth-quarter performance allowed the Thunder to close the gap and win the game 112-105. With this victory, OKC now leads the series 3-2 as the two teams head back to Denver for Game 6. Jokic, who played all 12 minutes in the fourth, revealed that Adelman told him he can stay in if he wants, per DNVR's Brendan Vogt.

Jokic wanted to and ended up playing the entire quarter. If it weren’t for him, the Nuggets would’ve lost this game by an even bigger margin. Speaking after the matchup, he said:

“I felt good, and I talked to DA, and he told me, ‘If you want to stay in, stay in.’ And I don’t know, did that change whatever (happened)? I think we had good looks. We had everything. We just didn’t make it.”

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As Nikola Jokic said, the team stuck to its guns and got plenty of good looks in the fourth. Unfortunately for Denver, no one apart from the three-time MVP had the composure to knock down their shots. The Nuggets were in control of this series, leading 2-1 after Game 3. They’ve blown their lead, losing two in a row, and will now look to survive Game 6 on Thursday.

Nikola Jokic has been stellar throughout, averaging 30.0 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists through five games. Jamal Murray has also been solid, recording 21.4 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Michael Porter Jr. has let Nikola Jokic and Co. down in the Western Conference semifinals

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Michael Porter Jr. has easily been one of the Nuggets’ worst players in the series against OKC. Through five games, he is recording 7.2 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 28.6%. His averages are down more than 10 points, as he recorded 18.2 points during the regular season.

Counting the first series, Porter is now recording 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in the playoffs this year. From being one of the Nuggets’ most valuable role players to being a liability on offense, Porter has taken a massive step backward on the biggest stage.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by R. Elahi