After getting swept in last year’s Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers thought things might be different with the Denver Nuggets this season. But following yet another convincing Nuggets win on Saturday night — spoiling the game where LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points — it seems they’re accepting reality instead.
No one in the NBA can stop Nikola Jokić and his Nuggets when they’re this dialed in.
After Jokić dropped a seemingly effortless 35 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in Denver’s eighth consecutive win (!) over Los Angeles, James didn’t mince his words about the big man’s dominance. He took it a step further by admitting defeat to Jokić’s all-time transcendence:
LeBron on if there's an answer for Nikola Jokic right now: "No. There is none."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 3, 2024
This quote feels like it goes beyond what Jokić and the Nuggets have done to James’ Lakers over the last year and a half. It almost feels like James is accepting that the reigning champions have established themselves as the unquestioned class of the league while they seek back-to-back titles. And it’s all spearheaded by Jokić, whose notably motivating text to his Nuggets teammates roughly two weeks ago is starting to grow in significance.
The Nuggets have been steamrolling everyone on a six-game winning streak since the All-Star break. They’ve arguably been coasting for most of this season, watching upstart teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder battle at the top of the West standings. Now, with one whole extended streak of focus, they are within striking distance of the No. 1 seed again.
That’s due in large part to Jokić’s individual brilliance. He has four triple-doubles since the break (including almost three consecutive 15-15-15 games!) and just took a generational defender like Anthony Davis behind the woodshed with a dominant scoring and playmaking performance.
This is essentially Jokić’s playoff mode, and the rest of the Nuggets have followed their leader. As an all-time great who has been in this zone so many times, James likely knows another fact very well: The rest of the NBA should be terrified about the Jokić and the Nuggets finding their groove.
