Nikola Jokic Dealt Unwelcoming News Amid Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 7:19 PM ET

Tied 1-1 in their opening round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Denver Nuggets received unwelcome news on Wednesday.

Nikola Jokic, despite another gaudy triple-double season, was outvoted for one of the NBA's biggest awards.

All season long, Jokic put up historic numbers, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players ever to average a triple-double.

Yet, it was the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson who walked away with the inaugural NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award, leaving Jokic, runner-up in voting, pondering what might have been.

A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2024-25 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award based on nominations from NBA head coaches.

The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LBnGu52KQq
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 23, 2025

Throughout the 2024-25 season, Jokic shot an astounding 56.2% from the field in clutch situations, best among all finalists.

Yet Brunson's higher volume of late-game points (156 to Jokic's 140) ultimately swung the vote.

For Jokic, the snub carries mixed implications.

On the one hand, it spotlights that even the league's most complete player can be overshadowed when voters prioritize raw scoring in pressure moments.

On the other hand, it cements his status as a perennial candidate for every major award: MVP, Finals MVP, and now Clutch Player of the Year.

As Denver heads back to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday, Jokic will seek to translate his statistical supremacy into the one accolade that matters most: a series victory.

Denver opened its series against the Clippers with a narrow 112-110 overtime win in Ball Arena, playing off Jokic's 29 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds.

In Game 2, Jokic again showed up with a 26-point, 11-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double, but the Nuggets ultimately fell 105-102.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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