Nikola Jokic Makes History in Game 2 vs. Lakers

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The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 on Thursday night, and once again got dominant performances from their star duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. It was Murray who carried most of the scoring load, especially down the stretch after struggling to start; however, it was Jokic who once again finished with a triple-double.
Tallying his 13th career triple-double in the playoffs, Jokic passed LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook for the third-most in NBA history. Westbrook of course holds the record for the most regular season triple-doubles in NBA history, but Jokic has now overtaken him for 3rd all-time in playoff triple-doubles.
More importantly than the statistical dominance for Jokic, was Denver securing a massive Game 2 victory. This was a gritty win for Denver, as they fought through some offensive struggles to erase a double-digit lead. Trailing for most of the night, Denver exploded in the fourth quarter, taking a 2-0 series lead.
Denver has been unbeatable at home this postseason, but so have the Lakers. The Lakers have yet to lose on their home floor, and will have to protect it in Game 3 in order to avoid an 0-3 hole. Denver knows it won't be easy, even after winning the first two games of this series, as they will have to enter a tough LA environment for Games 3 and 4.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.