Credit: Twitter
The Western Conference Finals are underway and Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets took a 1-0 lead against LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers after Game 1 at the Ball Arena on Tuesday night. In a post-game presser, Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who played with LeBron James in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and won a title with him in 2020, talked about the similarities between playing with Jokic and Bron.
The Lakers almost pulled off a sensational comeback against the Nuggets on Tuesday, however, the 18-point first-half lead of Denver helped them to register a win in their first playoff home game against LeBron James and Co. The Nuggets beat the Lakers 132-126 as Nikola Jokic becomes the first player in the shot-clock era (since 1955) to record 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 10+ assists while shooting more than 70 percent from the field in a Playoff game.
Apart from Jokic's third straight playoff triple-double, Nuggets guards Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for 52 points, eight assists, and five steals to guide their team toward victory in Game 1. After the game, KCP talked about the similarities between Bron's and Jokic's approach toward the game and he went on to give one 'major differen ce'. He said, "I feel like the only difference is that Bron can jump higher than Jokic."
Watch the video here:
Talking about the game, Anthony Davis recorded game-high 40 points with 10 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. The Lakers center managed a 60.9 percent shooting from the field and made a 1-off-1 three-point shot. Apart from AD, LeBron ended the game one assist short to complete a triple-double as the four-time MVP registered 26 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. Game 2 between the Nuggets and the Lakers will be played at the Ball Arena in Denver on Thursday, May 18.