CHICAGO — said it was instinct that told him to follow ’s shot, wade onto the weak side and bludgeon Justin Holiday out of the way.
Until that point, Jokic had scored all eight of the Nuggets’ overtime points. Denver coach Michael Malone said they targeted Jokic out of the timeout, trailing the 107-106 with 3.5 seconds remaining in the extra session.
“It was our ball, side out, down one; we’re going to Nikola Jokic,” Malone said. “He had the hot hand and you’re going to put the ball in your best player’s hand.”
Jokic, who had 22 points and finished one assist shy of his second triple-double of the season, wasn’t pleased with his shot.
“My feet were not ready and I kind of didn’t jump, but Paul was there and hopefully he made my mistake look good,” Jokic said.
Millsap’s timing on the follow was precise.
“I actually thought he was going to make it,” Millsap said. “When it hit the rim, I figured I’d get position and try to put it back up as fast as I can.”
On a night when the Nuggets dominated the glass, owning a 56-43 edge on the boards and a 62-40 advantage off points in the paint, it was Millsap’s lone offensive rebound and put-back that gave the Nuggets a thrilling 108-107 win.
“Itap definitely a desire,” Millsap said of snatching rebounds. “Leading the NCAA three years in a row, there’s no skill to that. Itap just looking up, going to get the rebound, going to get the ball, the will to try and get the ball. Thatap what I had on the last play tonight. Took me back to my roots. To my rebounding days. Can’t just never forget where you come from.”
There was still 0.1 seconds left following Millsap’s winner, and Jokic didn’t know whether it was fair game to celebrate.
“When I saw him get the rebound, I was like ‘Thank god.’ I was so happy,” Jokic said. “I did not know if I should celebrate or is it over. I just stood there and was like, what?”
Millsap’s struggle
Millsap entered Wednesday’s game averaging just 11.5 points on 40 percent shooting from the field. He admitted he had been forcing shots and was thinking too much on the court. Some of it was evident as he passed up open looks or hesitated when he found some space.
His shooting – 25 percent from 3-point range – has been emblematic of the team’s overall struggles. Against the Bulls they managed just seven of 26 from outside. This, after the Bulls allowed an NBA record 14 3-pointers on Monday night against Klay Thompson and had the worst 3-point defense in the NBA. In seven games, they’ve shot over 33 percent from outside just once.
, a career 35 percent 3-point shooter, is hitting from outside at a 31 percent clip, and , a career 37 percent 3-point shooter, is making just 27 percent of his attempts.
“The best thing about (Millsap’s) struggle, the silver-lining to his struggles, is what a pro he is,” Malone said. “I just talked to Gary and Jamal. We shot 28 percent – we still can’t buy a shot as a team from the 3-point line – but we’re still 6-1. That says a lot about our team. Paul is a pro, he’s mature and I love how he carries himself.”
Asked whether he realizes the impact his example sets, Millsap’s answer revealed why he’s so well respected, both in the locker room and around the NBA.
“I know these guys are looking up to me,” Millsap said. “They’re seeing, watching every move that I make, how I react to certain things because I’ve been blessed to play in this league for 13 years. These guys are trying to get there, so why not look up to somebody who’s been there, done it. I know there’s a lot of eyes on me. Itap always imperative that I watch what I do and continue to try to be a leader.”
Closing time
Malone compared the comeback win over the Bulls to their opening-night win against the . The Nuggets trailed late in both and didn’t panic.
On Wednesday, down 98-92 with 2:32 left, it didn’t look like the game was headed for overtime. But after a Millsap floater and a soaring Harris dunk, calmly buried a baseline jumper to tie it at 98. The Bulls didn’t score throughout the rest of regulation, and once it got to overtime, the Nuggets leaned on their franchise star for the majority of production.
“At halftime, I got on (Nikola),” Malone said. I said, ‘Stop turning down shots’. I thought he missed a couple early and started not looking for his shot. … I said, ‘Fellas, I haven’t yelled at one of you for missing a shot. I yell at you when you don’t shoot the ball. Let it go. You’re killing our offense when you don’t take a shot.’”
With just 14 points entering overtime, Jokic got the message. He hit one early jumper and then followed with two no hesitation 3-pointers from the top of the arc. But it was Millsap’s anticipation that sealed it, sending the Nuggets off to Cleveland with a 6-1 record.
“I never quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel,” former Indiana Rep. Charles Brownson said of the press. But we need your help to keep up with the rising cost of ink.
.
