The Nuggets suffered a 112-105 loss in Game 5 of their conference semifinals series against the Thunder.
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley came in defense of Denver Nuggets’ center Nikola Jokic after their Game 5 loss to the OKC Thunder in Western Conference Semifinals. Barkley blamed the loss on the Joker’s fatigue, suggesting that his teammates should let him take a break. Notably, the Nuggets suffered a 112-105 loss to the table-toppers, despite leading for most of the game. The defeat has put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination, since the Thunder now have a 3-2 lead.
Following the game, Nuggets’ interim head coach David Adelman said that fatigue could be one of the reasons for their second-straight loss. Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star, agreed to it, and suggested that fatigue was indeed the reason behind the Nuggets’ loss.
Speaking on Inside the NBA on TNT, Barkley said, “It has to be fatigue and like everybody gets tired. I think he could break it up like let Joker get a break and let Jamal run the offense then take Jamal out. Let the Joker run the offense. Like look at those numbers. First of all, no player is going to say he’s tired. Come on, man, that’s just fatigue.”
Chuck went on to commend Russell Westbrook’s energy levels, suggesting that he could help Jokic. The 62-year-old added, “I’d throw Russ out there anytime. ‘Coz his energy level is just incredible. He might make a mistake, but he’s going to give me everything. I don’t know if he ever gets tired.”
Chuck also went on to highlight the kind of responsibility the three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has shouldered for his team. Barkley lashed out at the rest of the Nuggets’ squad for the lack of support towards the reigning MVP, while lauding him for what he called “unfair” responsibilities. The player-turned-analyst said, “This guy has more responsibility than any player in the NBA.”
He went on to say that no other player has the need to lead their team in all the aspects, including scoring, rebounds, and assists. He added that while there are many great players in the league, no other player has the same kind of responsibility Joker has. Barkley said on the show, “No other player has to lead their team in scoring, rebounding, and assists. And there’s a lot of great players in this league, but no player has the responsibility that the Joker has.”
Notably, during Tuesday-night’s game, Jokic played for a total of 44 minutes, which was the most by any player. During his time on court, he dropped 44 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out five assists. Apart from him, two more players from Denver played for more than 40 minutes- Jamal Murray and Christian Braun.
The Nuggets dominated the court for most of the time. However, the Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, stole victory from them in the final moments. The table toppers are now leading the series 3-2, and will aim to wrap it up by Game 6, scheduled on Thursday, May 15.
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