Aaron Gordon made a big 3-pointer to help his Denver Nuggets get a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, but Nikola Jokic deserves some recognition for helping to make the shot happen.
Jokic had a monster game for the Nuggets, scoring 49 points with 14 rebounds and 10 assists. He was constantly getting double-teamed by the Clippers, including in overtime when Amir Coffey helped Ivica Zubac as time was ticking down.
Because he was double-teamed, Jokic knew that meant he had one teammate unguarded. He located that teammate — Gordon who was on the other end of the court, setting up for a 3-point shot. Not only did Jokic locate him and attempt the pass, but the pass hit Gordon perfectly in the chest — exactly where a shooter wants the ball:
AARON GORDON GIVES THE @nuggets THE WIN 🔥
Nikola Jokic picks up the triple-double on the cross-court pass to give Denver the OT win! pic.twitter.com/AHJIMHKWbc
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2022
Gordon nailed the clutch shot as part of his 28-point game. But Jokic earned that assist the hard way.
Not only does he have great on-court intelligence and execution, but his accuracy with his passing is unreal. He couldn’t have put it in a better spot for Gordon. That’s why he’s the reigning league MVP.
