Before the first whistle of Game 3, Nikola Jokic had already turned heads, though not with a basketball. His pregame appearance made waves, as the Denver Nuggets star walked into Ball Arena wearing a bold purple suit.
However, Jokic fell short of delivering the show many had anticipated. Despite his underwhelming night, the Nuggets emerged the winner by dint of clutch performances from Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon with a 113-104 score.
However, the tension during the game was visible, especially when the Nuggets were trailing by five points in the second quarter. In a critical moment, Jokic committed a double dribble and was promptly whistled at by the referees. But the former MVP was clearly frustrated, as cameras captured Jokic furiously reacting to the call.
Nikola Jokic double dribble. 😬
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 10, 2025
(h/t @Fullcourtpass)
pic.twitter.com/qw4B6wCgFl
Jokic ended the game with 20 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. With those numbers, Jokic tied Charles Barkley for the most playoff games featuring at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
Nikola Jokic Sets Unwanted Playoff Records In Nuggets Game 3 Win
Game 3 marked several career-low moments for Nikola Jokic in the playoffs. He registered his worst true shooting percentage, had the most turnovers, and recorded both the most missed threes and the second most missed shots in a playoff game.
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Jokic career-lows tonight:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 10, 2025
— Worst TS% in a playoff game
— Most turnovers in a playoff game
— Most missed threes in a playoff game
— 2nd most missed shots in a playoff game
and the Nuggets won the game. pic.twitter.com/lS6iqsccgZ
Joker also joined Jayson Tatum as one of only three players in NBA history to collect at least 15 rebounds and miss 10 or more three-pointers in a playoff contest.
The Serbian star also struggled in shooting. He just shot just 8-of-25 from the field and missed all 10 of his three-point attempts, though he was perfect from the free-throw line with 4-of-4.
