Nikola Jokic: NBA Finals MVP Shows His Greatness With Playoff Run for the Ages

Nikola Jokic: NBA Finals MVP Shows His Greatness With Playoff Run for the Ages

Joel Reyes
updated at June 13, 2023 at 11:49 AM
  • Nikola Jokic made history with the numbers he posted in Denver's playoff run
  • He led the 2023 NBA Playoffs in terms of total points, rebounds, and assists
  • He recorded 10 triple-doubles in the Nuggets’ incredible championship run

Nikola Jokic cemented his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, after leading the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship on Monday night.

The Nuggets ending their 47-year title drought would not have been possible without the brilliance of Jokic, who posted monster numbers during Denver’s run to glory.

Sports Brief looks at the Serbian big man’s historic numbers this postseason.

Nikola Jokic, Jimmy Butler, Jamal Murray, Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr, NBA, NBA Playoffs, NBA Finals, 2023 NBA Finals, Nuggets vs Heat, Tyler Herro, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat
Nikola Jokic celebrates after winning the NBA championship. Images: Justin Edmonds/ Matthew Stockman
Source: Getty Images

Jokic's jaw-dropping postseason numbers

Jokic became the first player in NBA history to lead the postseason in total points, rebounds, and assists. He amassed 600 points, 269 rebounds, and 190 assists in the 20 games the Nuggets played in this year’s playoffs.

The Serb also became the first player with 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single playoff campaign, per CBS Sports.

Joker breaks Wilt's record

Jokic also broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most triple-doubles in a single postseason, racking up ten in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

He recorded two triple-doubles in the 4-1 series win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. He also stuffed the stat sheet in the Western Conference Semifinals, recording three triple-doubles in the 4-2 series win against the Phoenix Suns.

Jokic continued his dominance in the Western Conference Finals, posting three triple-doubles in the four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Serb ended his playoff run with the Nuggets with two triple-doubles in the Finals against the Miami Heat.

Jokic makes NBA Finals history

Jokic etched his name in NBA history with one of his triple-doubles in the Finals. He scored 32 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in Game 3 against the Heat, making him the first player to record a 30-20-10 triple-double in the Finals, per Yahoo! Sports.

The big man made sure the Nuggets ended the series in front of their home fans in Game 5, scoring 28 points and grabbing 16 rebounds against the Heat. He shot 12 of 16 from the field in the series clincher.

The Nuggets center made history with that performance, becoming the first player to score at least 25 points on 75 percent shooting in the Finals clincher.

Jokic stamped his class in the Finals, averaging 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game against the Heat.

He is only the fifth player in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per game in a Finals series.

Denver wins the championship

Sports Brief recently reported on the Nuggets’ win over the Heat in Game 5 of the Finals series.

Denver unleashed a game-ending 6-0 run against Miami to capture the coveted NBA crown.

Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. led the Nuggets, each recording a double-double in the series clincher.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.