The No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers will begin their first-round playoff series vs. the No. 4 Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon, and L.A.'s James Harden is under no illusions about what he's up against.
The Nuggets as a whole are, of course, a formidable squad, but Harden is preparing to face off against superstar Denver center Nikola Jokic, in particular. The Joker just finished another stunning run—he averaged a triple-double for the regular season—and Harden and the Clippers know the path to the Finals runs through him, as evidenced by comments the guard made to reporter Rachel Nichols.
Asked Friday how the team plans to win against Denver, Harden said, "Our defense has to be on point. Obviously, we know we're dealing with Joker. He's the engine to the entire team."
Then asked if Jokic is the best player in the world, Harden confidently answered "Yeah" three times, with no hesitation.
"Obviously, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], I think we all think he deserves MVP just because of their [Oklahoma City Thunder's] record and what he's been able to do scoring-wise," Harden went on. "But talking about overall player and how impactful he is in the game, of course [that's Jokic]."
Watch that answer below:
stepping in to draw up some plays fired head coach Michael Malone
The battle officially begins Saturday, April 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as James Harden Dubs Nikola Jokic Best NBA Player in the World Ahead of Playoff Matchup.
