Nikola Jokic Left Puzzled by Thunder’s Actions as Jamal Murray Throws Unusual Allegations Against NBA Officials

It took overtime and awe-inspiring shotmaking from the Denver Nuggets to claim Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After losing by 46, Denver managed to stitch a fine defensive performance in the closing moments of the game. This was the second time they got the better of the Thunder in a down-to-the-wire showdown. However, unlike Game 1, tonight they did so without having to lean on the brilliance of Nikola Jokic.

The three-time MVP had been struggling partially in this series. He’s been unable to use his gift of passing, making more errors than assists. But tonight, OKC blocked him out completely. The Joker just shot 32% from the floor and committed eight turnovers. And while their physicality was expected, Jokic is unable to understand the Thunder’s core defensive tactics surrounding him.

And his struggles led to a surprising revelation.

“They’re aggressive. They are physical. They are handsy. They’re in the shrink. They’re playing passing lanes, you know. I mean, I don’t know what they’re doing because if I know probably I’m not going to have those kind of mistakes. So, I need to figure out what they’re doing. So, you know, basically I was the worst player on the court today, but we won the game and that’s the most important,” Jokic said about his Game 3.

Apr 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) at the free throw line during overtime against the LA Clippers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Nuggets have become used to the Joker being one step ahead of their rivals. But adjusting to the Thunder’s combination of size and tenacious defenders has been tricky for Jokic so far. But amidst his difficulties, the Nuggets have witnessed their other renowned players take initiative.

Aaron Gordon has been a stellar presence on both sides of the floor. Michael Porter Jr. set the tone with his sizzling three-point shooting tonight. And last and probably most important, Jamal Murray has dialed up his aggression against a rabid OKC defense. However, it’s because he realized something that can play to his tune.

Jamal Murray wants to be the bully

The Thunder do have one of the top defenses in the NBA. However, a notable attribute of their game is their physicality. The likes of Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and even SGA don’t shy away from using their hands. In addition to being ball hawks, they are also able to conceal some errors from the referees, reducing the calls that go their way.

But even under such tyrannical conditions, Murray seemed unrattled. He scored a team-high 27 points and 8 assists, countering everything OKC’s stoppers tried to throw at him. So what was his trick? Rather than waiting for the officials to pick up on an error, Murray decided to mirror the Thunder’s physicality.

“Just being aggressive. If someone pushes you, just push back and get to your spot and don’t even think about it,” Murray said about his approach.

But the technician point guard adapted this mindset because of the way the officials have been calling the game in the series. He seems to be aware that the Thunder will have a long leash in terms of the physicality they can use. So rather than leave his fate up to the officials, Murray is following the rhythm of the game.

“Just being aggressive anything that we do um you know the way they’re calling the games and how much they let them get away with. You just got to be aggressive back on offense and force them to make a decision, you know, the defense and the refs. I think the refs did a good job of just kind of not making it one-sided,” said the Nuggets guard.

So if that’s pushing some defenders away or attacking with greater force, Jamal Murray didn’t limit himself. His way proved to pave a successful pathway for the Nuggets as he regularly found cracks in the Thunder’s highly rated defense.

Nikola Jokic doing the same may not work for him due to his large frame. It becomes evident when the skillful center is expending more venom behind his actions. But he can still find his way around the defense using Murray’s fearlessness. Having a 2-1 lead allows him to experiment, especially when his teammates are performing at such a sublime standard.

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