“He had AD in shambles” – Bruce Brown hails Nikola Jokic’s dominance over Anthony Davis in 2023 NBA Playoffs

Nikola Jokic has continued to frustrate opposing teams throughout the course of the postseason. In the first round, Jokic matched up against the towering duo of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, with the Nuggets picking up a big win over the Timberwolves.

In the second round, Jokic matched up against the Phoenix Suns and Deandre Ayton, where the Nuggets once again emerged victorious. In the Western Conference finals, Jokic matched up against Anthony Davis and the Lakers, where the two-time MVP continued his dominance.

Heading into a matchup against the Miami Heat, and undersized center Bam Adebayo, many are predicting much of the same. With Adebayo posting below-average stats against Jokic, many believe the series won't be competitive.

Before things tip off, Bruce Brown weighed in on the matchup, pointing out that Nikola Jokic had Anthony Davis struggling:

"He scores the ball so effortlessly on whoever's guarding him, I mean he had AD in shambles last round. AD didn't know what to do. So I mean, he's one of the best players in the world and he's showing it."

Ahead of the NBA Finals tipping off, the Miami Heat believe that they may have the formula for making things difficult for Jokic.

Denver Nuggets v LA Lakers - Game 3

How the Miami Heat plan to stop Nikola Jokic

When it comes to certain players around the league like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, the best defenders can hope to do is make things difficult for them. Similarly, the Miami Heat believe that it's the same case when it comes to Nikola Jokic.

At one point in the Denver Nuggets' series against the LA Lakers, Anthony Davis couldn't help but stare in awe after Jokic drained a seemingly impossible shot. Given that, it sounds as though the Heat plan to make things as difficult as they possibly can for Jokic, and then live with the results.

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Denver Nuggets v Miami Heat

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According to Jimmy Butler, it starts with guarding Nikola Jokic with all five players, rather than leaving things up to a one-on-one matchup with Adebayo:

“Guarding him as a team with all five guys. He does everything so well, and we’re going to have to be in the gaps. We’re going to have to gang rebound. We can’t have defensive lapses.

"We’re just going to have to get after it. I think at the end of the day, he’s a major key, as DJ Khaled would say, and we’re going to have to lock in.”

Although Bam Adebayo clarified that forcing Jokic into tough shots may not guarantee a win, the Heat can live with the results if they make things difficult. Whether or not they're able to shock the world, and the oddsmakers, only time will tell.