For this game 7 between Thunder and Nuggets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic were expected at the turn. And if the first managed his appointment with 35 points and 4 assists, for the second, the evening was much more complicated.
If the Serb had made a good start of the match with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the first 12 minutes, the rest of his game was more difficult with a decisive tactical adjustment on the part of Mark Daigneault.
At the end of the first quarter, the Thunder's tactician tried a blow. He thus sends Alex Caruso First curtain on Nikola Jokic. And despite the fifteen centimeters and the forty kilos of difference between the two players, the old laker perfectly contained the reigning MVP.
“If the Front Office brought me coming last summer, it is because he knows my qualities and he knows that I can help my teammates”, will explain Alex Caruso After the meeting. “The guys around me help me a lot because they trust me. »»
Arrived last summer from Chicago, the transfer of Alex Caruso certainly took on its full meaning during this game 7. From the first seconds where he was placed on the “Joker”, the 2020 champion showed flawless aggressiveness, preventing the Serb from having baskets or easy passes. As proof, at halftime, Nikola Jokic had only managed one of his five shots when he was defended from the outside of the Thunder.
Nine only for Nikola Jokic
Faced with the infernal pressure of Alex Caruso, the nuggets recovered from it to the recipe for their success: the ” pick-And-roll Between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Except that there again, the Thunder had a solution thanks to Cason Wallace.
Capable of following Jamal Murray through the screens posed by the pivot of the Nuggets, the replacement facilitated the work of Alex Caruso always stuck in Nikola Jokic shorts. The muzzled Serbian is the whole attack on the Nuggets that has stopped: 40% in shots, including 22% from afar.
“” I think the pressure we have made the difference today“, Rejoices Mark Daigneault. “” We were regular for 48 minutes and it was a catalyst for us. Even when they put their shots, our defensive work disturbed the pace of these shots. The guys were not embarrassed by the extent of the event and remained concentrated on what we had to accomplish to win. »»
Nikola Jokic completed this match with only 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists taking only nine shots. He equaled his smallest total career in playoffs and the nuggets ended up bowing heavily.
“” It was difficult opposition“, Analysis Alex Caruso. “” Nikola Jokic does so much to involve everyone and influence the game. I tried to give him the task difficult. I would like to thank my teammates who did a great job by helping me because I couldn't have done anything alone. »»
Next judgment for the Thunder, the Wolves in the conference finals where Alex Caruso will undoubtedly be charged with a very different profile, but just as formidable in the person of Anthony Edwards. Unless Mark Daigneault shifts it to Julius Randle, the Warriors executioner in the previous round …
| Shots | Rebound | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | Lf | Off | Def | Early | PD | COP | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 76 | 34.2 | 51.9 | 37.5 | 89.8 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 32.7 |
| Jalen Williams | 69 | 32.4 | 48.4 | 36.5 | 78.9 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 21.6 |
| Chet Holmgren | 32 | 27.4 | 49.0 | 37.9 | 75.4 | 1.5 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 15.0 |
| Aaron Wiggins | 76 | 22.9 | 48.8 | 38.3 | 83.1 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 12.0 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 57 | 27.9 | 58.1 | 0.0 | 67.5 | 2.9 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 11.2 |
| Isaiah Joe | 74 | 21.7 | 44.0 | 41.2 | 82.1 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 10.2 |
| Luguentz Dort | 71 | 29.2 | 43.5 | 41.2 | 71.7 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 10.1 |
| Cason Wallace | 68 | 27.6 | 47.4 | 35.6 | 81.1 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 8.4 |
| Alex Caruso | 54 | 19.3 | 44.6 | 35.3 | 82.4 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 7.1 |
| Ajay Mitchell | 36 | 16.6 | 49.5 | 38.3 | 82.9 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 6.5 |
| Kenrich Williams | 69 | 16.4 | 48.3 | 38.6 | 71.8 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 6.3 |
| Jaylin Williams | 47 | 16.7 | 43.9 | 39.9 | 76.7 | 1.0 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 5.9 |
| Ousmane Dieng | 37 | 10.9 | 43.2 | 32.4 | 68.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| Branden Carlson | 32 | 7.7 | 44.3 | 33.3 | 77.8 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3.8 |
| Dillon Jones | 54 | 10.2 | 38.3 | 25.4 | 60.7 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| Alex Reese | 1 | 1.9 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Adam Flagler | 37 | 5.5 | 26.0 | 19.4 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 |
| Alex Ducas | 21 | 6.0 | 40.0 | 47.6 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 |
| Malevy Leons | 6 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
