"They are LEGIT" - Kendrick Perkins acknowledges Nikola Jokic and Nuggets as title contenders

ESPN's Kendrick Perkins had no other choice but to acknowledge Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets following their blowout win over the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets beat the Suns 125-100 in Game 6 to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2020.

Perkins has had a back-and-forth opinion about the Suns over the course of the playoffs. He initially thought that Phoenix were the favorites in the West last month but criticized them when the Nuggets went up 2-0 in the series. However, with Denver moving on to the next round, the former NBA player is no longer in denial about the Nuggets.

"I've been in denial about Jokic and the Nuggets. … but I MUST say that they are LEGIT. Carry the hell on," Perkins tweeted.

Kendrick Perkins has a history with Nikola Jokic, especially regarding the MVP race this season. Perkins received plenty of backlash when he implied that Jokic is just a stat-padder. He even doubled down on his take by alleging that voters have a racial bias against black players.

Perkins' take was so bad that ESPN had to correct him by saying that the voters for NBA awards are very diverse.

"When Kendrick Perkins said 80 percent of NBA voters for the MVP award are white," Molly Qerim said. "The NBA publicly announces the voters each year. And after review, it’s clear the panel is much more diverse than what was portrayed by Kendrick Perkins, and we wanted to make sure we corrected that."

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Nikola Jokic posts triple-double in Game 6 win over Suns

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic posted his third triple-double of the series against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Jokic finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Denver Nuggets' 125-100 win at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

"The Joker" was simply phenomenal all series for the Nuggets. He averaged 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He also shot 59.4% from the field, 44.4% from beyond the arc and 85.4% from the free-throw line.

However, it was not just the Jokic show in Game 6 for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray, who was feeling under the weather before the game, finished with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points, five rebounds and three assists.

The Nuggets will have a few days off as they wait for their opponent in the Western Conference Finals. The LA Lakers have the chance to close out the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Game 1 of the WCF will be in Denver on Tuesday.