For his performance in a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić earned the series MVP award.
The Joker, a two-time league MVP, averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists and shot 50.6 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from beyond the arc. He hit two of the most unbelievable shots you’ll ever see in Game 4.
Whenever Jokić had the ball in his hands, something good usually happened. Aside from the first half in Game 3 and the fourth quarter in Game 1, he dominated.
But another Nugget deserved the honor even more than The Joker: Jamal Murray
The former Kentucky star averaged 32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists against the Lakers, shooting 52.7 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from three and 95 percent from the free-throw line.
Per ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Murray is the first player in NBA history to average 30 points on 50-40-90 shooting in a conference finals.
During the regular season, Murry averaged 20 points, 6.2 assists and four rebounds with a shooting split of 45.4/39.8/83.3. The argument for Murray deserving the Western Conference Finals MVP rests on the marked elevation in his performance during the conference finals when compared to his regular-season play.
Jokic’s domination is expected given his insane track record over the past three seasons. It’s who he is.
When one player is performing at a historic level, teams can strategize to counteract. But when two players are operating at such as high level, the team becomes nearly impossible to stop.
Murray’s performance was the decisive factor in the Nuggets’ sweep.
His 30-point first half in Game 3 potentially saved the Nuggets from a precarious 2-1 lead.
What Murray did throughout this series broke Los Angeles’ spirit. That’s why he deserved Western Conference Finals MVP.
