Getty Image / Matthew Stockman
The Miami Heat found a way to tie up the series with the Denver Nuggets in Game 2. Nikola Jokic still had a monster game, but it wasn’t enough.
Erik Spoelstra turned heads during his postgame press conference though, as he shut down a question about the Nuggets’ superstar.
The reporter wasn’t even able to ask her full question about “turning Jokic into a scorer or a passer.” Spoelstra shut her down and provided an explanation after calling the question “ridiculous.”
Here is Erik Spoelstra’s full response to the question about Nikola Jokic.
Erik Spoelstra shut down Ramona Shelburne's question about turning Jokic into a scorer or a passer quickly pic.twitter.com/PxcWQNN5w4
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 5, 2023
It’s a reasonable question that’s maybe worded poorly. But at the same time, the Heat head coach makes a solid point. Jokic is arguably the best player in the world right now. So, it’s hard to imagine any game plan forcing his hand.
Additionally, it’s not like Nikola Jokic was shut down or anything. The guy still scored over 40 points on the evening. However, his assist totals were way down than usual, as he only recorded four of them.
Of course, NBA fans everywhere had something to say about this back and forth. Some fans are confused by Spoelstra’s comments while others gained more respect for him.
Reasonable to the untrained eye
— Goober McGavin (@GooberMcGavin) June 5, 2023
It’s crazy how the Nuggets are winless this postseason whenever Jokic scores 40+ points.
He’s shutting it down because he doesn’t want the Nuggets to pick up on that being the game plan. Nuggets are winless when Jokic has 40+
— choc (@choc) June 5, 2023
Erik Spoelstra is a no nonsense kind of guy.
It’s why I love Spo. The guys knows his shit but in the same breath he never loses his respect for the game and it’s stars. There is no “take away” from someone like Joker’s game. He can hurt you every time he touches the ball no matter what. It just takes consistency on both…
— Chase (@Chkpt_Chase) June 5, 2023
Some Heat fans are glad to see the team not giving the Nuggets any reason to feel more energized.
Good job! No bulletin board material…
— Birdcityview (@BirdCityView) June 5, 2023
Game 3 should be an exciting matchup as the series heads to Miami.
Based on how Game 2 played out, this series might be closely contested throughout. Tune into the next game on Wednesday, June 7 to see who wins a pivotal Game 3.