After a prolonged wait, Denver鈥檚 amiable star moseyed into the postgame news conference late Monday night with his now-typical greeting.
鈥淲hat抖阴ap up, guys?鈥� he cracked. He was confused when he didn鈥檛 receive much of a response.
From the moment he walked in, outfitted in his preferred Nike sweatsuit, Jokic controlled the room as reporters hung on his every word.聽It抖阴ap not because he鈥檚 particularly adept at breaking down the game while speaking in his second language; it抖阴ap because he鈥檚 hilarious.
Everything from fumbling with the microphone at press conferences to his fascination with one media member鈥檚 snapping camera shutter has become fodder. It抖阴ap a window into the ease with which the Nuggets鈥� best player is approaching the playoffs.
After Game 1 win over Blazers, Nuggets' Nikola Jokic on : "Someone is typing really fast. Is that you? Good job, brother."
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver)
In Monday night’s Game 1 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Jokic dominated with 37 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists. His much-criticized defense also yielded 3 steals and 2 blocks against a battered Portland frontline, and Denver won 121-113. Only LeBron James and Julius Erving have ever recorded such a
Asked what took him so long to get into the news conference, Jokic sheepishly confessed he 鈥渏ust likes to hang out with the guys.鈥�
He did concede that his postgame routine 鈥� a cold tub and a stretch 鈥� took too long, at least on this night.
Nikola Jokic shares why it takes him so long to get to the press conferences after the game! 馃槀
— NBA TV (@NBATV)
Everybody, including his teammates, is running on Joker time. That抖阴ap especially true for Nuggets point guard , whose pick-and-roll with Jokic may be the key to Denver dissecting Portland鈥檚 defense. Murray, who finished with 23 points and 8 assists, could probably run it blindfolded with Jokic at this point.
Just don鈥檛 ask Jokic about their chemistry, which has been patently obvious to onlookers all season yet is just now entering the national NBA consciousness. With five minutes remaining and the Nuggets comfortably up 11 points, Murray veered right as two Blazers defenders chased him to the wing. Murray whipped a knowing pass through the thicket of arms to Jokic who scored for his 32nd and 33rd points of the night.
RELATED: Nikola Jokic on his passing fancy: 鈥淪ometimes it抖阴ap stupid. Sometimes it抖阴ap really good鈥�
鈥淓verybody write this down right now, so no extra questions about Jamal and me,鈥� Jokic commanded, surveying the local media he鈥檚 become accustomed to addressing. 鈥淲e are playing really good together. We are learning and teaching and trying to (learn) where we need to be, how to set a screen. We just see different coverages, see different things, and we just kind of adjusting. He鈥檚 a great basketball player, a great competitive guy and I just love to have him as a teammate.鈥�
The next question started, but Jokic wasn鈥檛 done.
鈥淒id you write that down?鈥� he said, pausing for impact.
Joker鈥檚 鈥淩ound 2鈥� had nothing to do with the Blazers. He dominated that mic like a seasoned podium vet.
— Mike Singer (@msinger)
Even if he pretends to be incensed with questions he鈥檚 been lobbed numerous times so far this postseason, there鈥檚 some aspect of Jokic that embraces the banter. During the San Antonio series, Jokic began one such press availability with 鈥淣o dumb questions!鈥� It抖阴ap a complaint he鈥檚 voiced to Nuggets staffers earlier this season, too.
But there is some part of him that is relishing the playoff stage, probing the limits of what he can do both on the court and in press conferences. With seemingly little resistance from the Blazers, Jokic at one point Monday tried consecutive behind-the-back dribbles followed by a spin move and a turnover.
His ballhandling, while exceptional for a big man, isn鈥檛 yet on Damian Lillard’s level. His passing, however, is reaching prodigious heights.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to make the right reads, he鈥檚 like a quarterback out there,鈥� said. 鈥淚 consider him like Tom Brady.鈥�
To a large degree, Jokic agreed with that assessment.
鈥淚 think I can read everything,鈥� he said honestly. 鈥淚 just need to know what they鈥檙e going to do, you know?鈥�
There鈥檚 a liberating aspect to how Jokic is operating this postseason. His coach, Michael Malone, has noticed it, too.
鈥淚 think it抖阴ap just this year he鈥檚 gotten so comfortable and so confident, and I think we鈥檙e seeing the natural, the true, the real Nikola Jokic,鈥� Malone said. 鈥淭hat抖阴ap come with him getting more comfortable living here, getting more comfortable with the language and knowing that he is our franchise player with the contract that we gave him last summer. 鈥� He鈥檚 got a great personality, a great sense of humor, he鈥檚 locked in, he鈥檚 playing with emotion and fire, and the more he does that, the better off it is.鈥�
