If the annual playoff referendum on Nikola Jokic’s defense has already commenced, Jokic himself might have put an amusing stop to it during the first round.

As self-deprecating as ever, he didn’t mince words when asked how he can guard Lakers center Anthony Davis better after a barrage of buckets forced Michael Malone to cross-match, hiding Jokic on a lesser scoring threat in Game 2.

“He’s an offensive monster, and defensive, too,” Jokic said. “… He’s a really good offensive player. And I’m not really good defensively one-on-one. Let’s say it like that.”

Jokic chuckled as he finished, bracingly comfortable with the acknowledgment of his limitations. His words could carry some weight beyond this first-round series, depending on Denver’s potential future matchups and how Malone determines Jokic is best deployed as a defender.

But the comment was also a reminder that he’s getting his biggest stumbling block out of the way early.

Davis exposed Jokic in Game 2 for a staggering six-minute stretch that mercifully became a footnote in Denver’s dramatic comeback win. But if the Nuggets survive the Lakers and advance, is any other Western Conference center capable of replicating what Davis briefly accomplished?

If the Nuggets face the Timberwolves in the second round, Rudy Gobert’s minutes will likely be mirrored with Jokic’s because Minnesota needs to try neutralizing Jokic at the other end of the floor. But that means Jokic can likewise match up on Gobert, an adequate but not elite offensive threat, while Aaron Gordon guards Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid more. If Phoenix is the opponent, Jusuf Nurkic is not enough of a scorer for Denver to worry about cross-matching Jokic away from him.

The same goes for most of the centers on the other side of the West bracket: Ivica Zubac of the Clippers, Daniel Gafford or Derek Lively III of the Mavericks, and Jonas Valanciunas or Larry Nance Jr. of the Pelicans. Chet Holmgren would be the interesting. The lanky Oklahoma City center averaged three more points per game against the Nuggets than his season total, and he shot 3.9% better than his average. He’s more of a driving threat against Jokic than a post-up threat. But if that ever becomes a recurring issue, Denver can experiment with a strategy other Thunder opponents have tried this season: putting the starting center on Josh Giddey, using him as a helper and playing the percentages. (Giddey was 33.7% from three).

That’s essentially what Malone did with Jokic in the second half of Game 2 against the Lakers, only a more daring version — Los Angeles’ Rui Hachimura shot 42% from three this season.

“That allowed Nikola, with his IQ, to kind of roam and protect and communicate as a back-line defender, where he’s phenomenal,” Malone said Wednesday before the Nuggets flew to Los Angeles for Game 3.

Jokic isn’t anywhere near as bad a defender as his quote implies, even if there’s some truth to the notion that guarding on-ball is his weakness. His strength is his understanding of spacing and angles.

The Nuggets tend to have Jokic play up at the level of the screen on pick-and-rolls, relying on rotations from other defenders underneath to cover the roller. He has excellent hands; he finished the regular season tied for sixth in the NBA at three deflections per game. And as Malone said, when Jokic doesn’t have to be glued to a matchup, his IQ is often better maximized with the luxury to roam.

With 7:15 left in the second quarter of Game 2, Jokic sank to help Justin Holiday with an off-ball paint mismatch against Hachimura. Davis got the ball at the foul line and drove into Jokic for an easy layup off the glass. The rest of the half became a nightmare. Davis got isolated against Jokic, dropped a shoulder into him and easily created enough space for a turnaround baseline jumper. He plowed into Jokic twice for hook shots in the lane. On a pick-and-roll with D’Angelo Russell, Jokic was in drop coverage, so Davis punished him with an open mid-range jumper.

Jokic adjusted by guarding Davis tighter on the perimeter, so he had to switch onto LeBron James on a dribble handoff. James got by him and dropped it to a rolling Davis for another easy layup. Then on the same DHO from the right wing, Jokic dropped back to cover Davis sooner, but Davis curled to his spot on the left baseline again. He hit a jumper on Jokic’s face.

Fourteen points for Davis in a span of 5:25, with Jokic involved every time. No missed shots.

“Just maybe (need) to be a little more into him,” Jokic said. “Don’t let him go to his spots so easy.”

The good news is, Jokic is ripping off the most painful bandage in the first round.

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By The Associated Press

The WNBA draft is over, and superstars like No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark are heading toward surefire pro careers.

Not all 36 selections from his year’s draft will have such assurances. The league has 144 coveted roster spots among 12 teams, and other options for pro careers in women’s basketball either in the U.S. or overseas are scarce.

It’s a sharp contrast from men’s prospects who don’t make NBA rosters. They have more opportunities, including more overseas opportunities and playing in the G League.

The NBA also has 30 teams with 15 players allowed on the regular season roster, so there are more spots available.

Why don’t all WNBA draft picks make team rosters?

There’s a simple reason why being among those 36 draft picks doesn’t ensure a roster spot: most of the spots will be taken by returning players.

Only 19 of the 2023 picks played at least one game in the WNBA last season. Since 2018, 142 of 216 draft picks (65.7%) have played in a WNBA game at some point in their career.

The high mark was 28 of the 36 draftees in 2019.

Players have tried to carve out a WNBA chance by playing professionally overseas, but those jobs are also at a premium. Brittney Griner’s nine-month incarceration in Moscow along with the war in Ukraine have led to the elimination of dozens of potential jobs in Russia.

Will the top college stars make it in the WNBA?

Clark, the former Iowa player and the NCAA’s career leading scorer, was picked first overall by the Indiana Fever, and she’ll certainly get a chance. The same is likely true for Stanford’s Cameron Brink (No. 2, Los Angeles) and national champion South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso (No. 3, Chicago).

Last year, only seven of 12 second-round picks and three of 12 third-round picks saw any regular-season action. That suggests nothing is guaranteed for NCAA Tournament standouts like UConn’s Nika Mühl (drafted No. 14, Seattle Storm) and Iowa’s Kate Martin (No. 18, Las Vegas Aces).

Why does it matter?

Of course, it’s disappointing for players who come so close to fulling their WNBA dreams but get squeezed out because of numbers. It also can be a big deal for fans who no longer get to see a favorite college player on the court.

“You can be a great college player and not make a WNBA roster,” ESPN WNBA analyst LaChina Robinson said last year. “You’re not only competing with players that are currently on the roster, but also a ton of women’s basketball players overseas that have been honing their skills and waiting for opportunity to break into the WNBA.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Michael Malone’s individual film reviews this week keep encountering a distraction at the end.

His eyes wander from what’s transpiring on the court and focus instead on his team’s sideline, where the Nuggets are about to erupt into a celebration they’ll someday tell their grandchildren about.

His objective, of course, is to leave Jamal Murray’s Game 2 buzzer-beater in the rearview mirror for the time being. Denver still needs to win twice more to eliminate the Lakers. But Malone is only human.

“I go through the film probably five times. And every time I watch it, I get just as excited,” he said Wednesday before the Nuggets flew to Los Angeles. “And not just at the shot, but the reaction. I’m looking at (lead assistant coach) David Adelman jumping in the air. (Head athletic trainer) Dan Shimensky running around like he’s a 2-year-old. The bench reaction. The fans. Fans behind the bench aren’t even watching the game. They’re watching it on the jumbotron, which is so weird to me. It’s happening right in front of you, and they’re like this.”

Malone craned his neck, mimicking the crowd.

“It was a great moment,” he continued. “Those are the moments that you will talk about and relive for 50 years from now.”

Even in the immediate aftermath of the shot, which gave Denver a 2-0 series lead in the first-round matchup, Malone and the Nuggets displayed a healthy sense of perspective for the history of the moment combined with an understanding of what they still need to accomplish. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope spoke to the team in an ecstatic postgame locker room.

“The message was just, ‘Take this moment. Enjoy it. We’ve got a couple days off. Tonight, enjoy this moment,'” he repeated afterward. And after Monday night: “We’ve still got business to take care of when we go to L.A. Just stay with the business mindset and let’s get it done.”

Denver is still 11 for 42 on wide open 3-pointers in the series. Players other than Michael Porter Jr. are shooting 14 for 29 overall from beyond the arc — a dismal 23.7%. On one hand, it’s a testament to the Nuggets’ imposing stature in the West and their resolve that they managed to win both home games anyway. On the other hand, as players pointed out, they were supposed to win both home games in the first place. All they’ve done entering Game 3 on Thursday (8 p.m. MT, TNT) in Los Angeles is hold serve.

“They’re gonna show up really aggressive,” Porter said of the Lakers. “They’ve shown they can play with us on our home floor. They’ve been up big both games. If I was on their team, I’m sure they have a lot of confidence. Just knowing that they were in the game both games, had big leads. So going back home, I’m sure they feel confident.”

The Nuggets’ top priority at their pre-flight practice? Have the lead after the first quarter this time. No more double-digit deficits early in these games.

Holding a lead has its own baggage, but Malone figures they can cross that bridge when they get there.

“History would tell you that when we have a big lead, we tend to relax. And we tend to abandon what afforded us the lead that we had,” he said. “So when you’re down by 20, you become urgent, you become desperate, you become hungry.”

His late father, Brendan Malone, used to always tell him he felt nervous watching the game whenever Denver took a big lead.

“So hopefully we get a lead,” Malone said, “but it’s not too big of a lead.”

In the meantime, looking back at the film of Game 2 is maybe worth the victory lap.

“It was a hell of a play and one of those shots. Has a nickname been given to it yet?” Malone asked. One was suggested to him: The Shot at 5280. “That’s a lot. We’ve gotta work on that. I’m gonna come up with something better than ‘The shot at 5280.'”

Michael Malone’s individual film reviews this week keep encountering a distraction at the end.

His eyes wander from what’s transpiring on the court and focus instead on his team’s sideline, where the Nuggets are about to erupt into a celebration they’ll someday tell their grandchildren about.

His objective, of course, is to leave Jamal Murray’s Game 2 buzzer-beater in the rearview mirror for the time being. Denver still needs to win twice more to eliminate the Lakers. But Malone is only human.

“I go through the film probably five times. And every time I watch it, I get just as excited,” he said Wednesday before the Nuggets flew to Los Angeles. “And not just at the shot, but the reaction. I’m looking at (lead assistant coach) David Adelman jumping in the air. (Head athletic trainer) Dan Shimensky running around like he’s a 2-year-old. The bench reaction. The fans. Fans behind the bench aren’t even watching the game. They’re watching it on the jumbotron, which is so weird to me. It’s happening right in front of you, and they’re like this.”

Malone craned his neck, mimicking the crowd.

“It was a great moment,” he continued. “Those are the moments that you will talk about and relive for 50 years from now.”

Even in the immediate aftermath of the shot, which gave Denver a 2-0 series lead in the first-round matchup, Malone and the Nuggets displayed a healthy sense of perspective for the history of the moment combined with an understanding of what they still need to accomplish. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope spoke to the team in an ecstatic postgame locker room.

“The message was just, ‘Take this moment. Enjoy it. We’ve got a couple days off. Tonight, enjoy this moment,'” he repeated afterward. And after Monday night: “We’ve still got business to take care of when we go to L.A. Just stay with the business mindset and let’s get it done.”

Denver is still 11 for 42 on wide-open 3-pointers in the series. Players other than Michael Porter Jr. are shooting 14 for 29 overall from beyond the arc — a dismal 23.7%. On one hand, it’s a testament to the Nuggets’ imposing stature in the West and their resolve that they managed to win both home games anyway. On the other hand, as players pointed out, they were supposed to win both home games in the first place. All they’ve done entering Game 3 on Thursday (8 p.m. MT, TNT) in Los Angeles is hold serve.

“They’re gonna show up really aggressive,” Porter said of the Lakers. “They’ve shown they can play with us on our home floor. They’ve been up big both games. If I was on their team, I’m sure they have a lot of confidence. Just knowing that they were in the game both games, had big leads. So going back home, I’m sure they feel confident.”

The Nuggets’ top priority at their pre-flight practice? Have the lead after the first quarter this time. No more double-digit deficits early in these games.

Holding a lead has its own baggage, but Malone figures they can cross that bridge when they get there.

“History would tell you that when we have a big lead, we tend to relax. And we tend to abandon what afforded us the lead that we had,” he said. “So when you’re down by 20, you become urgent, you become desperate, you become hungry.”

His late father, Brendan Malone, used to always tell him he felt nervous watching the game whenever Denver took a big lead.

“So hopefully we get a lead,” Malone said, “but it’s not too big of a lead.”

In the meantime, looking back at the film of Game 2 is maybe worth the victory lap.

“It was a hell of a play and one of those shots. Has a nickname been given to it yet?” Malone asked. One was suggested to him: The Shot at 5280. “That’s a lot. We’ve gotta work on that. I’m gonna come up with something better than ‘The shot at 5280.'”

Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after Jamal Murray’s buzzer-beating game-winner over Anthony Davis and the Lakers. Among the topics discussed:

• Jamal Murray has an all-time postseason resume that keeps growing. Is the killer over Davis the best of his shots to date?
• Down 20 with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, the Nuggets erupted to beat the Lakers for the 10th straight time. Will the Nuggets sweep or can L.A. muster something, anything to push the series to five games?
• Do the Nuggets need to make any adjustments for Game 3 to avoid another double-digit deficit or is the game plan simply: Win by any means necessary?
• Matt asks, yet again, who can challenge the Nuggets in the West? Bennett gives a revealing answer, while also shedding light on his mysterious NBA season awards ballot.
• Bennett trolls loyal listeners, yet again, as he goes inside baseball and talks about a Toronto Blue Jays game.

Subscribe to the podcast
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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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The Lakers complained about foul calls during the team's loss to the Nuggets, but the NBA two-minute report endorsed the calls made late in the contest.

By The Associated Press

Caitlin Clark appears to be on the cusp of setting another record.

The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28 million contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe.

The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported the pending deal, citing unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the sportswear giant and Clark’s agents.

Excel Sports Management, which represents Clark, and Nike did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Clark’s initial name, image and likeness deal, signed in 2022, expired at the end of the 2023-24 season.

The new deal would be the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player.

Under Armour and Adidas also participated in contract discussions with Clark’s team in February, according to the WSJ and Athletic. Puma also showed some interest but walked away when told the bidding would start at $3 million per year, according to the WSJ.

Clark received offers of $16 million over four years from Under Armour and $6 million over four years from Adidas, with both including a signature shoe, according to the WSJ.

Clark earned about $3 million in NIL money at Iowa with deals she has had with State Farm, Gatorade and others, according to On3.com.

Clark’s agents were working on the new Nike contract even before she announced she would turn pro instead of return to Iowa for a fifth season under the COVID-19 exemption offered to players in college during the 2020 pandemic season.

After averaging 31.6 points and leading the Hawkeyes to a second straight national championship game, Clark was drafted No. 1 by the Indiana Fever on April 15. She’ll earn a $76,000 salary as a rookie.

She’s been the main driver for the dramatic uptick in women’s basketball interest with her mix of deep 3-point shots, flashy thread-the-needle passes and overall court presence. A women’s basketball-record 18.9 million viewers watched Iowa’s loss to South Carolina in the NCAA title game, and a WNBA-record 2.45 million watched the draft.

Of the Fever’s 40 games this season, 36 will be nationally televised, and ticket sales have skyrocketed around the league.

Her marketability is enhanced by her polished performances in media settings, and her surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” two weeks ago was widely acclaimed and exposed her to an even wider audience.

The reported eight-year contract with Nike shows the sportswear giant’s commitment. At 22, Clark could play well over a decade in the WNBA and she could be on the U.S. roster for the Olympics in Paris this year, in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

A video that appears to show one of the brothers of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic punching a fan after the Nuggets’ game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday has gone viral on social media.

A TikTok video posted following the game at Ball Arena displays text that says, “Jokic brothers going wild,” with a flushed-face emoji. It shows two men — identified as Nikola Jokic’s brothers Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic — in the stands scrambling to get to another man in a row below them. As someone yells “beat him” and shouts an expletive, it appears that Strahinja Jokic punches the man sitting lower in the stands.

It’s unclear what caused the altercation Monday. In one comment on the TikTok video, a person who was at the game claimed to have seen the fight and said the fan who was punched had harassed Nikola Jokic’s wife and child, who were also in the stands for the game.

Denver Nuggets spokesperson Nick O’Hayre, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment spokesperson Jim Mulvihill and the NBA did not return requests for comment on Tuesday. The NBA confirmed to The Athletic that it was looking into the incident.

Earlier this year, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment banned a superfan from Denver Nuggets games and revoked her season tickets over allegations that she grabbed a referee and hit a player in the face. She is now suing Kroenke’s owner.

Denver Police Department spokesperson Jay Casillas said on Tuesday afternoon that the agency is aware of the video from Monday’s game, but the incident wasn’t reported to officers at the arena or after the game, and no one has since come forward to police as a victim of the assault.

“The department is looking into this incident, is actively working to identify the person in the video who was struck, and encourages anyone who was involved or witnessed this firsthand to contact the Denver Police Department,” Casillas wrote in an email.

Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic often attend their younger brother’s games and are known to get heated. During one game, a security guard had to restrain Strahinja Jokic after he became angry at a referee.

In 2019, Strahinja Jokic was arrested in Denver over allegations that he choked and pushed a woman, and that he prevented her from calling 911. He pleaded guilty in 2020 and received a deferred sentence, meaning the case would be dismissed if he followed the terms of his probation and didn’t commit another crime before Feb. 3, 2022.

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A video purporting to show the brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic punching a fan after the Nuggets’ game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers has gone viral on social media.

The TikTok video posted following the game at Ball Arena displays text that says, “Jokic brothers going wild,” with a flushed-face emoji. It shows two men in the stands walking toward another man, and as someone yells an expletive, one of the men, who the poster said were the brothers, punches the man sitting lower in the stands.

It’s unclear what caused the altercation Monday and if the man who punched the other fan will face charges.

Denver Police Department spokesperson Jay Casillas said on Tuesday morning that he is looking into the issue. Nuggets spokesperson Nick O’Hayre did not return a request for comment.

Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic, Nikola Jokic’s brothers, often attend their younger brother’s games. During one game, a security guard had to restrain Strahinja Jokic after he became angry at a referee.

Strahinja Jokic has a criminal history in Denver — he was arrested in 2019 over allegations that he choked and pushed a woman, and that he prevented her from calling 911. He pleaded guilty in 2020 and received a deferred sentence, meaning the case would be dismissed if he followed the terms of his probation and didn’t commit another crime before Feb. 3, 2022.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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