Nikola Jokic points out one thing in 4th quarter miscue in Game 2 loss

Nikola Jokic had a triple-double in the Denver Nuggets' Game 2 loss to the LA Clippers on Monday. The Nuggets had some costly turnovers in the fourth quarter, along with a miscue by Jokic that could have swung the result. The three-time NBA MVP explained what happened in that play after the game.

In his postgame press conference, Jokic was asked why he took a bad shot around the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Some initially thought that he didn't know the shot clock was reset, but it was a miscommunication between him and Jamal Murray.

"I saw Jamal like, 'Shoot it, shoot it,' but he was telling me to calm down, so it was a misunderstanding," Jokic said. "I thought he was saying, 'Shoot it, shoot it.' It was a misunderstanding. Even in that situation, like I said, details."

It's easy to say that the Denver Nuggets could have made a shot if Nikola Jokic had made the right play at the time. However, the Nuggets also failed to take care of the ball the entire night, with 20 turnovers as a team. Jokic had seven of them, three of which came in the fourth quarter.

"The Joker" also missed four free throws during the game, which was uncanny for him. If he had made those free throws, the Nuggets could have won the game.

Another factor in the LA Clippers' 105-102 win was Kawhi Leonard, who nearly had a perfect performance. Leonard finished with 39 points on 15-for-19 shooting. He made a clutch shot with under a minute left to give the Clippers a three-point advantage.

Norman Powell also showed out in the final period after struggling through the first three quarters. Powell scored seven of his 13 points in the final 12 minutes, including a 3-point shot with about a minute remaining in regulation.

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Nikola Jokic joins elite company in Game 2 loss

Nikola Jokic joins elite company in Game 2 loss. (Photo: IMAGN)

As mentioned above, Nikola Jokic had another triple-double in Game 2. He had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, which was the 19th triple-double of his postseason career. He's now in the Top 3 of the all-time playoff triple-double list behind Magic Johnson and LeBron James.

Johnson had 30 in his legendary career, while James is at 28 and counting. If the Lakers can move past the first round, "The King" has a shot at breaking Magic's triple-double record in the postseason.

As for Jokic, he's only 30 years old and will have plenty of chances to overtake Johnson and James. He averaged a triple-double in the regular season for the first time in his career. He's also a finalist for the NBA MVP trophy for the fifth consecutive year.