NBA Playoffs 2019: Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic earns Player of the Day

Scott Rafferty

NBA Playoffs 2019: Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic earns Player of the Day image

The 2019 NBA Playoffs are heating up!

Every day from now until the end of the postseason, our NBA.com Staff will bring you one top performer following the completion of the playoff games on that day.

You'll be able to see the best performance and three honourable mentions from each day, while also having access to all prior "Player of the Day" files, as we see who can tally the most honours these playoffs.

Today's player of the day is...

Nikola Jokic

Team's result: Spurs 120, Nuggets 103

Stat line: 43 points (19-30 FG, 2-6 3PT, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, nine assists, three steals

It came in a loss, but Jokic was absolutely spectacular in Game 6. His 43 points were both a career-high and a franchise playoff record, and he did it efficiently by making 19 of his 30 shot attempts.

Jokic was at his best in the third quarter, when he scored 17 of Denver's 25 points to keep the Nuggets in the game.

Jokic also pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out nine assists, putting him an assist shy of recording his second triple-double of the series.

Overall, it was one of the best games of Jokic's career so far.

Honourable Mentions

DeMar DeRozan

Team's result: Spurs 120, Nuggets 103

Stat line: 25 points (12-16 FG, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists

DeRozan did it all for the Spurs in the win. He recorded all seven of his assists in the first half and then scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half to help San Antonio pull away.

DeRozan went toe-to-toe with Jokic in the third quarter with 12 points of his own on an almost perfect 6-for-7 shooting from the field.

LaMarcus Aldridge

Team's result: Spurs 120, Nuggets 103

Stat line: 26 points (10-16 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists, one block

Aldridge led the Spurs in scoring with 26 points. He set the tone with an impressive first quarter, in which he scored 13 of his points.

Aldridge finished with a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with five assists.

Rudy Gay

Team's result: Spurs 120, Nuggets 103

Stat line: 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 3PT, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks

Gay gave the Spurs a huge boost off the bench with 19 points. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from the perimeter and also made a couple of plays on defence, coming up with two blocks.

Led by Gay, San Antonio's second unit was a big reason why the Spurs got the win.

“Rudy Gay off the bench was a huge factor tonight," Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said after the game, per Paul Garcia of Project Spurs. "Their bench dominated our bench, first time that happened in the series.”

Previous winners

April 14 - Stephen Curry

April 15 - Giannis Antetokounmpo

April 16 - Lou Williams

April 17 - Kawhi Leonard

April 18 - James Harden

April 19 - Ben Simmons

April 20 - Russell Westbrook

April 21 - Joel Embiid

April 22 - Kawhi Leonard

April 23 - Giannis Antetokounmpo

April 24 - Damian Lillard

April 25 - Lou Williams

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.