LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP)-Nikola Jokic rattled off challenges the Utah Jazz present: disciplined, formidable big man, big-time scorer, meticulous execution of their roles.
Then, the reason above all others the Denver Nuggets center relishes playing them in a first-round series: The games always go down to the wire.
The third-seeded Nuggets went 3-0 against Utah in the regular/restarted season but that hardly reflects just how tight the contests were. Denver won the trio of games over the sixth-seeded Jazz by a combined margin of 11 points, including a 134-132 double-overtime thriller on Aug 8. The series begins Monday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
“Every game is going to be interesting,” Jokic said.
The niceties have been put on hold. So, sorry for the cold shoulder near the cold tub.
The Nuggets and Jazz were rather cordial inside the bubble, exchanging pleasantries since they trained and dined in close proximity.
“But we told them (the other day) when we saw them in the cold tub, it was the last time we probably say, ‘What up’ to each other,” Nuggets guard Monte Morris said. “It’s business at the end of the day. We have to worry about the Nuggets and they worry about their side. Let the best team win.”
It could hinge on the matchup in the middle — Jokic versus Rudy Gobert.
Jokic is the engine that makes Denver go, a 7-foot center who plays like a point guard. Gobert is the rim protector who’s in the running for his third straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Gobert certainly has a healthy dose of respect for Jokic’s game.
“When his team needs him to step up at the end of games, he usually does,” Gobert said. “It’s going to be a challenge.”
Same sentiment for the 7-foot-1 Gobert, who led the league in dunks.
“His teammates are using him really well,” said Jokic, who averaged 25.1 points, 13 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 14 playoff games last season. “He’s a really good player.”
The teams are very similar outside of just having All-Star centers.
Both boast game-changing guards — Donovan Mitchell for Utah and Jamal Murray for Denver.
Both also have sublime supporting casts, though the Jazz may be without guard Mike Conley for a bit after he left the bubble to head back to Columbus, Ohio, for the birth of his son. He’s subject to a quarantine upon his return.
“If Mike Conley is not available for Game 1, or whatever it is, then I’m sure other guys will step up,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “If Mike Conley is not available, that means more Donovan Mitchell, who is an all-NBA caliber player.”
