Portland couldn’t stop the two-time MVP on Friday night.
The Portland Trail Blazers ran into a juggernaut on Friday night as Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets rolled into Portland and cruised to a 127-112 win at Moda Center.
Jokic dominated the Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back, finishing with a 29 point, 15 rebound, 14 assist triple-double.
After the game, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups talked about the impossibility of trying to gameplan against Jokic:
Said the Blazers coach, “There’s certain players in the league, you know, that it doesn’t matter what coverage you play. He’s just too good. He can figure you out, and there’s not a coverage that he’s never seen. You can put two on him if you want, but you’re giving up a three (pointer), you’re giving up a lob, giving up a layup to another player. So, you just know you’re going into the game saying ‘we’re going to try several things.’ There’s a good chance that none of them work. It is what it is.”
While the Blazers didn’t play poorly, they were clearly outmatched by a Nuggets team that many expect to return to the NBA Finals this season.
Portland tried several looks on Jokic, including fronting and sending help occasionally, but the star center was able to find cutters and 3-point shooters with ease. He even eliminated the possibility of varying Blazers defensive approaches by bringing the ball up the court and initiating the offense himself on repeated occasions.
Up next for the Blazers: Portland takes on the Charlotte Hornets from Moda Center on Sunday.
About the Author
Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting “The Pulse with Peter Sampson” in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer’s Edge and XRAY.FM – where his show “Blazer’s Edge Radio” was named “Portland’s Best Sports Radio” in the 2017 Willamette Week reader’s poll. When he’s not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.
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