The Denver Nuggets gained the upper hand against the Los Angeles Lakers again. Just like the NBA fans, Nikola Jokic is already used to seeing his team taking down LeBron James and company.
With their win in Game 3 on Thursday, the Nuggets now hold an 11-game winning streak against the purple and gold. Denver has certainly come a long way in the last few years, becoming the team to beat after decades of misery. Jokic knows what is like to be part of a losing team, so he’s enjoying this moment.
“I think I said one time that winning is a lifestyle for us,” Jokic said. “It’s really good when you’re winning…everybody is happy. Everybody wants to play. Everybody is buying into the system… I was here when we were losing, so I don’t want to go back.”
However, the Joker also admitted being a bit “bored” of facing the Lakers so many times, always with the same result. Darvin Ham’s team seemed to be in a position to win Game 2 and Game 3, but it eventually blew its leads.
“To be honest, I think every game is tougher and tougher,” Jokic said. “… I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get bored with the style of the play or whatever. So you just need to — especially for us, because we won the last three — just trust what we are doing and don’t get bored with success. Because it can (go) wrong really quick.”
Michael Malone explains why Nuggets continue to beat the Lakers
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone addressed the dominance Jokic talked about, explaining one of the reasons Denver is so dominant against the Lakers has to do with the mood any reigning champion has.
“There’s a confidence that comes with being a champion,” Malone said. “That starting group, they’ve been through a lot of wars. They’re battle-tested. Every time we get down, we don’t panic, we stay the course and we find a way to get back in the game. It’s another game where we were spotted a 20-point lead and we still come back and win.”
