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☆ Nikola Jokic, an Elusive Superstar, Has a Hold on Denver
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

About two miles from downtown Denver, the yellows, oranges and reds of a spray-painted mural fill the cracked, gray cement wall of a building that houses a temporary employment agency. The mural rises about 20 feet and depicts an expressionless Nikola Jokic next to a much more emotive Jamal Murray, his eyes narrowed and arms extended as though he is wielding a bow and arrow. Thomas Evans, a 38-year-old artist, finished the mural of the two Denver Nuggets stars recently as the team prepared to begin the N.B.A. He said the mural inspired him and some collaborators to write the song as a tribute to Jokic. James is the biggest star in the N.B.A., with four championship rings, piles of endorsement deals and a constant presence on social media and television.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Thomas Evans, Damien Lucero, Lucero, Dame, Dame D.O.L.L.A, Damian Lillard, ”, —, LeBron James, James Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Nuggets, Western Conference Locations: Denver, Portland, Jokic

☆ The Nuggets Said They Weren’t Favorites—Then Proved They Are in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Leading up to the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic disputed the obvious. Were his Denver Nuggets, a No. 1 seed who had won 53 games during the regular season and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, favored over a Miami Heat team that had won just 44 games, earned a No. 8 seed and survived a seven-game conference-final tilt against the Boston Celtics?

Persons: Nikola Jokic Organizations: NBA, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics

☆ Nikola Jokic, Nuggets cruise to Game 1 win over Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Right now, the most important thing is to win a game, and I'm trying to win a game in any possible way," Jokic said on the ABC broadcast. The Nuggets were sharp, even after a nine-day wait between their conference-final sweep and the start of the NBA Finals. "I reminded our group, if they didn't know, that Miami went into Milwaukee (in the first round) and won Game 1," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "They went into the Garden in New York City (in the second round) and won Game 1. "They were in a pretty good rhythm, especially in that first half," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Nuggets.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Isaiah J, Downing, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, Jokic, Jimmy Butler, Michael Malone, Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith, Erik Spoelstra, Murray, Bruce Brown, Butler Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Ball, USA, Nuggets, ABC, NBA, Denver, Eastern Conference, Miami, Eastern, The Nuggets, Heat, Thomson Locations: Denver, USA, Milwaukee, New York City, Boston, Jokic

How to watch the NBA Finals in the USYou can watch the NBA Finals on ABC via broadcast TV, cable, satellite, or any live TV streaming service that carries the network. 2023 NBA Finals scheduleGame Date and time Channel Game 1, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets June 1, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 5, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 6, Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat (if necessary) June 15, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 7, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 18, 8 p.m.

Persons: Larry O'Brien, we've, Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Lisa Salters, Nikola Jokic, there's, ExpressVPN Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, NBA, ABC, ESPN3, ESPN, Sling, Western Conference, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Hulu, YouTube

☆ 2023 NBA Finals: How to watch the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets – the hulking Serbian center who has battled underappreciation and misinterpretation to become one of the league’s greats and a two-time Most Valuable Player. It’s the performances of Jokić and Butler which help to explain why the NBA Finals are being contested by Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat as the 2022/23 NBA season concludes. Jokić shoots the ball during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Jokić admitted that the celebrations were short-lived after the Western Conference Finals sweep of the Lakers as Denver’s goal is lifting the title. Jokić leaves the floor after the Nuggets beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Persons: There’s Nikola Jokić, underappreciation, Jimmy Butler –, Jokić, Butler, Erik Spoelstra, Denver’s Michael Malone, Larry O’Brien, Butler –, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Adam Pantozzi, Jamal Murray’s, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell, Pope –, “ I’m, ” Jokić, AAron Ontiveroz, – Miami, Al Horford, David Butler II, – Butler, ”, “, Pat, Riley, Spoelstra, Nathaniel S, you’ve, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Denver Nuggets, NBA, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Ball Arena, Games, ABC, Western Conference, Denver, Lakers, Denver Post, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Bucks, New York Knicks, Celtics, Eastern, USA, Sports, Reuters, Heat Locations: Serbian, Denver , Colorado, Miami, Denver, Milwaukee Bucks . Miami

☆ In the N.B.A. Playoffs, Flopping Is a Welcome Sideshow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kurt Streeter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

playoffs, LeBron James got in on the act. The upstarts, upsets and dominance. The Miami Heat putting the kibosh on the comeback of comebacks in the Eastern Conference finals. Welcome to the National Basketball Floppers Association. In the 1970s, Red Auerbach, the Boston Celtics’s fabled and curmudgeonly leader, railed on national television against the “Hollywood acting” that was sullying the game.

Persons: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jokic, Malik Monk, Flopping, Red Auerbach Organizations: Miami Heat, Eastern Conference, Sacramento Kings, National Basketball Floppers Association, Boston, Hollywood

☆ He’s the Best Player in the NBA. He’s Also the Bloodiest.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/sports/basketball/nikola-jokic-nuggets-nba-finals-bf5901ba

Persons: Dow Jones, nikola

☆ Where Is the Pass Going?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Sean Catangui | Kris Rhim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Where Is the Pass Going? Few aspects of basketball capture the joy of the game like great passes. The most exciting ones require communication, improvisation and a little luck. finals will feature one of the sport’s best at getting the ball to his teammates: Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Try to guess who catches these passes.

Persons: Denver’s Nikola Jokic

☆ Nuggets stand between Heat, history in NBA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] May 27, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to the score board in the second quarter during game six of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY SportsMay 31 (Reuters) - The Miami Heat have the chance to make history when the NBA Finals kick off on Thursday, facing a well-rested Denver Nuggets squad that is uninterested in letting the Heat's Cinderella story go any further. "We don't play just to win the Eastern Conference, we play to win the whole thing." "You get to the NBA Finals, it's not about seeding anymore. The NBA Finals kick off on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Persons: Jimmy Butler, Rich Storry, Larry O'Brien, Tyler Herro, Mark Jackson, Nikola Jokic's, oddsmakers, Michael Malone, Malone, it's, Amy Tennery, Chris Reese Organizations: Miami Heat, Eastern, Kaseya Center, NBA, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference, ABC NBA, Nikola Jokic's Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Nuggets, Milwaukee, Ball, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, USA, Miami, New York

☆ Nikola Jokic Has Mastered the Art of Slowness
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kurt Streeter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is the speed with which he plays, or, rather, the lack of it, that sets him apart in the fast-twitch N.B.A. Jokic, the two-time league most valuable player, could write an instructional book about the game he has come to master: Basketball and the Fine Art of Slowness. He moves where he wants, when he wants, while every other player is slicing around the court in a frenzy. It brought to mind something Jeff Van Gundy, the former N.B.A. Jokic is the epitome of the John Wooden quote, ‘Be quick, don’t hurry.’”“He’s an absolute marvel,” Van Gundy added.

☆ On the Denver Nuggets, the Role Players Get to Be Stars, Too
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“So we just go with the hot guy.”Jokic is the engine that powers the Nuggets, but Gordon also called him “one of the most unselfish basketball players.” Jokic is averaging a triple-double in the playoffs, with 29.9 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. That happened on Saturday, in the Nuggets’ 119-108 win in Game 3 with the Lakers. Jokic had just 5 points and 2 rebounds at halftime, then got into foul trouble by committing his fourth less than halfway through the third quarter. That means somebody else has to step up.’ I think that’s something our team has done time and time again.”The Nuggets’ players have not just accepted roles that require them to defer to others, but embraced them in service of winning a championship. Jokic was the team’s only All-Star this year and no Nugget made an All-Defensive team; Jokic has never played with someone who made those teams while playing with him.

☆ Lakers vs Nuggets Game 2: LeBron James proves he is human after missing an easy dunk in LA loss to Denver
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —LeBron James proved he is human after all as the Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 108-103 Game 2 playoff loss against the Denver Nuggets. With the Lakers up by eight points early in the second, James had a clear run to the basket after being found by Rui Hachimura in transition. Jack Dempsey/APLeBron blowing the easy dunk was just one of the many uncharacteristic errors made by the 19-time All-Star in the Game 2 loss. After the game, James reflected on the 0-2 hole the Lakers find themselves in and said that it wasn’t the end of the world. To go with four steals, five assists and 10 rebounds, Murray scored an incredible 37 points in the huge win.

☆ Nikola Jokić makes history with triple-double to lead Denver Nuggets to big Game 5 win leaving Phoenix Suns on the ropes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Nikola Jokić made history with a triple-double on Tuesday night to lead the Denver Nuggets to a comfortable 118-102 Game 5 win in their Western Conference playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets were spearheaded as usual by Jokić, who created yet more history with his excellent all-around performance. Brown provided a key thrust for Denver throughout, scoring 25 points off the bench, something Jokić was keen to praise. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 28 points while Durant added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The home team has now won every game in the series so far, with Game 6 taking place in Phoenix on Thursday.

☆ An MVP Shoves. An NBA Team Owner Falls. The Basketball World Decides: ‘Flop or Foul?’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the NBA playoffs, players will do anything for an edge. But what about team owners? That question came up almost halfway through Sunday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. After Phoenix’s Josh Okogie sailed into the courtside seating to chase a loose ball, Denver star Nikola Jokic rushed to collect it, hoping to inbound the ball before Okogie had recovered. When Jokic tried to pry it from a spectator’s hands in Phoenix’s Footprint Center, a comedy of retaliatory gamesmanship ensued.

☆ Jokic fined $25,000, will not be suspended for Ishbia incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will not face a suspension after making contact with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4 of their conference semi-finals playoff series on Sunday. The NBA handed Jokic a $25,000 fine after he made contact with Ishbia in an attempt to take the game ball away from him and again when the game ball went further into the crowd at Phoenix's Footprint Center. The Suns won Game 4 129-124 to level the series. Ishbia previously said on Twitter that Jokic, a two-time MVP, should not receive a suspension. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that," he said.

☆ Philadelphia 76ers Embiid wins first MVP award
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award for the first time, the league announced on Tuesday. Embiid was chosen over Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, to whom he lost the award in the past two seasons, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won back-to-back awards in 2019 and 2020. The Cameroonian big man received 73 first-place votes from a panel of 100 broadcasters and journalists, marking the fifth consecutive win for an international player. The 29-year-old is only the second African player to become MVP after Nigerian-American Hakeem Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets in the 1993-94 season. The MVP trophy was renamed this season after Michael Jordan, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

☆ Embiid hopes 'improbable' path to MVP will inspire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 3 (Reuters) - National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP Joel Embiid hopes to be a role model of perseverance after overcoming extraordinary odds, the Philadelphia 76ers center said on Wednesday. "I felt like it was kind of my fault because I left Cameroon, I left, you know, my family. I felt like I should have been there to do something," said Embiid, who missed the first two seasons of his career with a broken foot. Embiid, who came second in MVP voting to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the last two seasons, produced an undeniable MVP campaign this time around, averaging a career-high 33.1 points per game, with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nikola Jokic Gets More Kicks—Literally—Than Anyone in Basketball History
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nikola Jokic has always been a spectacle on offense. Despite his non-chiseled build and lack of top-percentile athleticism—six-feet-11 and 284 pounds, without much foot speed or vertical leap to speak of—the Denver Nuggets’ center plays basketball like a ballet dancer. In the opener of their conference semifinal against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Jokic flung his usual inch-perfect passes and twirled through the lane, leading Denver to their first win in what became, Monday night, a 2-0 series lead. On defense, though, Jokic tends to be as lumbering as he is graceful at the other end. Most opposing dribblers can edge past the twice-reigning MVP, and almost everyone in the NBA can outjump him.

☆ NBA roundup: Hawks use late rally to stay alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Boston's Jaylen Brown (35 points) posted his second straight 30-plus-point game and Jayson Tatum had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Jamal Murray scored 35 points, Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon each had 14 and Michael Porter Jr. grabbed 10 rebounds for Denver. The top-seeded Nuggets are headed to the Western Conference semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons. Anthony Edwards put up 29 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Timberwolves. Kevin Durant scored 31 points and Deandre Ayton added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the No.

☆ NBA roundup: Warriors survive late gaffe, tie series with Kings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Mike Conley added 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out for the Wolves. Nikola Jokic had 43 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Nuggets. Josh Hart chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks, who outrebounded the Cavaliers 47-33. The Hawks were within five points with 3:36 to play, but the Celtics took control by scoring the next seven points. Dejounte Murray finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

☆ NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets take command over Wolves
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The top-seeded Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and will aim for a sweep on Sunday in Minnesota. Julius Randle contributed 11 points and eight rebounds despite 3-of-15 shooting, and Immanuel Quickley also scored 11 points. Dejounte Murray added 25 points for Atlanta, which lost the first two games of the series in Boston. Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points and 10 rebounds and added five assists. Marcus Smart finished with 24 points, eight assists and three steals, and Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points.

☆ NBA roundup: Short-handed Bucks even series with Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jimmy Butler had 25 points to pace the Heat, and Bam Adebayo added 18 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots and Desmond Bane added 17 points for the second-seeded Grizzlies. LeBron James had 28 points and 12 rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 20 points off the bench for the seventh-seeded Lakers. Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points and Aaron Gordon had 12 points and 10 rebounds for top-seeded Denver. Denver went on an 8-0 run to open the final quarter, grabbing a 95-89 lead before Minnesota moved in front 99-98.

Games are split between TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV; you can stream them with a live TV service like Sling. NBA Playoffs livestream quick linksUS TV broadcasts: TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ABC/ESPN3 via Sling Orange ($51/month)Watch from anywhere: Use ExpressVPN service to stream from Sling TVStart time: Playoffs being April 15 at 1 p.m. How to watch the NBA Playoffs in the USYou can watch the NBA Playoffs on ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV, with select games scheduled across each channel. How to watch the NBA Playoffs with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't already have one. ET TNT2023 NBA Playoff bracketThe NBA Playoffs bracket includes eight teams from each conference in the first round.

☆ NBA roundup: Warriors hang 157 on Blazers, glide into playoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Shaedon Sharpe added 18 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds, while Jeenathan Williams had 17 points for Portland. New Orleans' Brandon Ingram had 42 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 23 points and Trey Murphy III had 20. Lindell Wigginton scored 17 points and Bobby Portis had 16 for the Bucks. Jaden Hardy led all scorers with 25 points, with Theo Pinson forging a triple-double (23 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) for the Mavericks. De'Aaron Fox, who scored 13 points, played less than 18 minutes.

☆ NBA roundup: Knicks get by Wizards, clinch playoff berth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/4] Apr 2, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes (6) dribbles against Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. New York led by no fewer than eight and by as many as 20 the rest of the way. Atlanta got 25 points from Dejounte Murray, 18 points and 10 rebounds from John Collins and 14 points and 11 boards from Clint Capela. Dallas also got 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists from Doncic and 18 points from Wood. The Rockets' starting backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green combined for 44 points with Green adding seven assists.

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