Nikola Jokic makes honest admission after gritty Game 3 win - “I was the worst player”

Nikola Jokic struggled to find his rhythm in the Denver Nuggets’ gritty Game 3 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. Jokic had a lackluster game by his standards, scoring only 20 points, along with 16 rebounds and six assists, while shooting an inefficient 8-of-25 clip from the field.

During the postgame presser, Jokic admitted shared his thoughts on his performance. Nuggets beat writer Bennett Durando tweeted the quote of the center saying:

“Basically, I was the worst player on the court today. But we won the game, and that was the most important.

The reigning NBA MVP missed all of his three-point attempts in the game, going 0-of-10 from beyond the arc. He then shot 8-of-15 from the two-point area in the Nuggets' win to finish with a 32% clip.

Despite his struggles, his teammates stepped up to steer Denver to the Game 3 win. Jamal Murray had 27 points in the game to top all scorers for the Nuggets, while Aaron Gordon had 22 points, including a crucial three-pointer late in regulation to force the game to overtime. Michael Porter Jr. also had 21 points to pace the Nuggets throughout the game.

Nikola Jokic's Game 3 output was just a notch better than his Game 2 blowout performance, when he only put up 17 points and fouled out in the third quarter. In Game 1, he had 42 points and 20 rebounds to take the stunning Game 1 win.

Nuggets' interim head coach reaffirms belief in Nikola Jokic despite Game 3 struggles

Denver Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman reaffirmed his belief in the team’s superstar Nikola Jokic after a poor shooting night in Game 3.

Talking about Jokic’s frustrations after the game, Adelman believed Jokic should shoot more in Game 4 as the team remains trusting of his MVP-level caliber.

"I mean, 20, 16 and 6, what an awful NBA night … I'm sure he's frustrated," Adelman said. “When you're so efficient, maybe arguably one of the most efficient players to ever play any sport. Yeah, I get it. I get why he's frustrated.

"But Game 4 is going to come, and he's going to touch it a million times. Hope he shoots it all the time."

The Nuggets are expected to continue leaning on Jokic’s brilliance in Game 4 as they look to stomp the Thunder out before heading to Game 5 in OKC.