“Shai could never” - NBA fans shocked as Nikola Jokic hits nothing but net on near full-court heave 

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets hosted the Utah Jazz on Friday. The Nuggets raced to an early 26-15 lead in the first quarter before facing stiff resistance in the second period. Utah cut the deficit to 54-47 following a Collin Sexton layup before Jokic extended the lead once more with a mind-boggling shot.

The reigning MVP threw a 62-footer that hit nothing but net to end the first half:

Fans promptly reacted to the buzzer-beating shot on X/Twitter:

“Shai could never," one fan wrote.

One fan said:

“I’ll probably retire from watching basketball if he beats Lakers with that sh*t.”

Another fan added:

“Shai is still the mvp of the league.”

@nando17celtics continued:

“How is this even possible.”

@NEFF303 reacted:

“So many reasons he is the best player in the league but I’m starting to think he isn’t from this planet.”

Nikola Jokic has hit some incredible buzzer-beating shots in his career, but this one might be the farthest from the basket. He received the pass about three feet from the free-throw line and took one dribble before doing a Euro step to launch the shot. The basket was crucial as the Nuggets regained momentum heading into the halftime break.

Jokic did not play in the fourth quarter after the Nuggets built a big enough lead entering the last 12 minutes. He finished the game with 27 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and four steals.

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Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets coast to 129-93 win over Utah Jazz

After the tightly contested second quarter, the Denver Nuggets resumed their dominance in the third period. Jokic had nine points, two assists and one steal to push his team to an 86-65 advantage with a quarter left to play. The Nuggets dominated the paint, hitting 8-for-9 attempts in the shaded lane to grab a stranglehold of the game.

Mike Malone kept the three-time MVP on the bench in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets kept their foot on the pedal. With Jokic playing cheerleader, his team erupted for 43 points to march to the finish line with a comfortable 129-93 win.

The win improved the Nuggets' record to 47-28 to move within one game of the Houston Rockets (48-26) for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.