NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 4, 2023

Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets

Game 2: Postgame

Heat 111, Nuggets 108

Q. Nikola, Coach Malone said he was surprised that you guys -- he was talking about effort in the postgame locker room. Are you concerned that effort is even a question at this stage of the season?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, yes, of course that cannot be a question. But we just didn't play well, the right way in the fourth quarter. They scored 36 points in the fourth quarter. That's too much, of course. They got a couple of rebounds. It was just -- happened to be like that.

Q. How disappointing is it to lose at home for the first time in the Playoffs?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, we didn't want it to happen, of course, but it happened, so we're going to live with it. We are going to Miami to play another game, so...

Q. You had a playoff low four assists tonight. Was that because of something Miami was doing defensively, or were your teammates just missing shots?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I don't know. I don't think about assists or whatever. To be honest, I don't know the answer. I was just playing, and I don't think when I'm playing about stats or whatever.

Q. Coach talked about effort, and then Jamal said it was more discipline. How do you get that corrected in short order before Wednesday?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, just you need to know what to do. We had a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding. They were getting open looks, especially at the beginning of the game, and we have a couple at the end of the game, too. You just need to know where to be or what to do or what's the coverage or whatever.

Q. Do you guys feel that the offense at the end of Game 1 and at the end of tonight kind of bogged down against the zone? If that's the case, what are some of the adjustments that you guys can make for Game 3?

NIKOLA JOKIC: The first game, I think we had -- I said I missed mid-range shot, Jamal missed mid-range shot and Mike missed a corner three. I think those are shots that we want and we didn't make those, and today they just put us in their rhythm, and we didn't want to play that way, and they want to, obviously. But maybe just to play a little bit faster is going to help us.

Q. It seemed like Bam and the screen-and-roll was giving you a lot of problems as a team, the ability to -- sometimes you're up on the screen, sometimes you're back. They kind of had counters for all of those. What kind of challenges does that pose, and was that an issue in the fourth quarter for you?

NIKOLA JOKIC: Of course, they have a really good team and really good players, and we need to adjust, so it depends of the skill set of the player. Sometimes we are up, sometimes we are down the floor. I think everybody is doing that in the league. We just need to be there early and then make an extra effort, I think.

Q. Coach Malone mentioned your tremendous close to the third quarter. I think you had a couple physical buckets inside and then you got out and ran. What stands out to you about that stretch you had late in the third?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, just a good stretch, of course. Seems like I just got going and I was just trying to score. Simple as that.

Q. What can you guys do differently defending the three-point line? They obviously didn't hit their open looks in Game 1, but tonight they did.

NIKOLA JOKIC: Yes, of course they scored 17 threes, they shoot 48 percent, which is really, really good, of course. Just I think be disciplined, just if somebody is running, run him off -- I think the discipline is the key for us. If you are not disciplined, if we're going to have a breakdown, it's not going to be a long series, of course. Just because they are punishing you as soon as you make mistakes.

Hopefully we're going to be disciplined for next game.

Q. What was sort of the mood when you guys got in the locker room knowing that effort was kind of one of the main issues? What was the mood when you huddled up in there?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I don't -- can I not answer this question? Next question.

Q. You guys have not lost at home in the postseason. How do you expect you will handle what really amounts to the first adversity you guys have seen this postseason?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, we know that that's not going to happen. Of course, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and especially in the Playoffs where every game is different, every game matters, which is normal. We didn't want to lose, but we lost. So hopefully we're going to go there and win the next one.