Nikola Jokic's Viral Quote After Nuggets-Lakers Game

Nikola Jokic met with the media after Game 4.

May 31, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) gestures as he talks to the / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday evening, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers (in California) for Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.

The Nuggets lost by a score of 119-108, so the series is now 3-1 (still in favor of Denver).

Despite the loss, Jokic had an incredible performance with 33 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists, one steal and one block while shooting 10/20 from the field and 2/5 from the three-point range in 39 minutes of playing time.

After the game, the two-time MVP met with the media, and one of his quotes got a lot of attention on social media (h/t the NBA).

Jokic: "Of course we want to win. But I learned in horse racing it's not how you start, it's how you finish. We didn't finish today really well, hopefully we can do a better job."

"I learned in horse racing it's not how you start, it's how you finish."

Nikola Jokic gives perspective on the Nuggets' starts & finishes in Round 1. 😅 pic.twitter.com/Gc1H6oJt67

— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024

Jokic had another excellent regular season with averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 58.3% from the field and 35.9% from the three-point range in 79 games.

He will have an excellent chance to win his third MVP Award.

Apr 27, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and center Nikola Jokic / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Game 5 of the series will be on Monday evening in Denver.

The winner of the series will advance to the second round and face off against either the Phoenix Suns or the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Last season, the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals before beating Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat to win the 2023 NBA Championship.