NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

September 20, 2020

Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets

Game 2: Postgame

Los Angeles Lakers 105, Denver Nuggets 103

Q. Can you describe what the mood of the locker room is after fighting so hard, obviously the disappointment of that shot.

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, we were there before, the second or third game against Clippers. I think we had it and we kind of lost it in the end.

We put the effort there, we put in the fight. I think we played well most of the game. We were down, we came back again. We're going to keep our heads up and on to the next one.

Q. Losing the way you did certainly sucks, but do you think you figured something out on how to defend them tonight?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, they have two really good, really good players. They have LeBron, who is probably the best player in the league, and they have AD, who is probably the best scorer in the league.

I think it's not easy to figure them out. They are really talented. We can just make it tough, make them feel uncomfortable. To answer the question, maybe. But they're really talented. They're going to find solutions.

We just need to kind of stay on top and just make them uncomfortable.

Q. Emotional rollercoaster game. Can you take something from your one-on-one with Dwight Howard, some of that tête-à-tête?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, it's a basketball game. He's a big guy. He knows his role. He's doing it really well. But it's not just me against him, it's Nuggets against Lakers.

Q. You're not just going up against Dwight Howard but also JaVale McGee, all of the bigs that they have. How hard is that for you to continuously have to go up against four different bigs in the same game instead of getting some relief down the stretch?

NIKOLA JOKIC: To be honest, I don't think about it. Whoever is over there, I'm going to try to beat him, try to win the game. It is what it is. Again, I say it's not just me against them, it's Nuggets against Lakers.

Q. What is your view of the last play?

NIKOLA JOKIC: Either going to be him or LeBron, so we kind of knew it. Just happened, a little bit of miscommunication. I think I had a really good contest, to be honest. I think I was right there.

As soon as he shot the ball, he shot it really well. Like, I kind of felt it going in. I think great players make great shots. He did it. He's a really good player.

Q. Given your resiliency during this whole Playoffs, what do you draw from that, and also tonight's game, to be able to overcome this latest challenge?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, we are here underdogs. That is how you say, underdogs? I mean, we need to fight. That's our only chance. They were up 15, isn't it, or 16? I don't know how much they were up. We could just call it a game and quit.

I think we just want to give the fight. Maybe it's going to be 30 points, but fight needs to be there, and effort.

Q. PJ played a bunch for you guys in the second half down the stretch. I know his missed free throws hurt. What was your take about his impact?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, to be honest, he did so many good things. He was aggressive. He was going to the paint. He was making advantage for us. He took two charges. Those two free throws don’t really matter that much. He played great.

Just by looking at him, because he's shooting before me literally every time, I kind of see little bit of his workouts, how he's practicing. I'm nobody, but I see how he's developing. I see how he's into it. He buys in. He's listening to coaches.

It's really nice to see the kind of up way that he did. He's not playing, but he's upgrading, he's getting better.