In the final second of Sunday`s Game 4, Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets` center, requested the ball after Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder made two free throws, extending their lead to five points.
Upon receiving the inbound pass from Michael Porter Jr., Jokic attempted what was both literally and figuratively the longest shot seen in these NBA playoffs.
His throw, resembling a football pass from 81 feet away, fell short and wide, an air ball that Denver reserve center DeAndre Jordan avoided near the baseline as he was already heading towards the locker room when the final buzzer sounded.
Even if Jokic had somehow sunk the shot, it wouldn`t have altered the outcome, as they were not within one possession. However, Jokic later stated matter-of-factly that forcing overtime wasn`t strictly impossible, merely improbable to an extreme degree.
“Perhaps they could have fouled me, or they might have received a technical foul,” Jokic commented. “One can never predict exactly what will transpire.”
This particular miss somewhat worsened the look of Jokic`s three-game shooting slump, further impacting his unusually low efficiency. Over that period, he shot just 33.3% overall (21-of-63) and a mere 18.2% from beyond the arc (4-of-22), a key talking point in the series against the top-seeded Thunder and their league-leading defense.
These long-distance heaves have become characteristic of his play. If there`s even a minimal possibility a shot could influence the game`s result, Jokic will attempt it, regardless of the distance or how improbable the attempt might seem. These audacious tries offer insight into the competitive spirit of the three-time MVP, who, despite achieving historic levels of production and efficiency, employs an approach that clashes with the contemporary NBA`s emphasis on statistics.
“My shooting percentage is not a concern for me,” Jokic stated. “I believe everyone should take that shot. Why wouldn`t you? It represents a scoring opportunity, and I`ll take it whenever it arises.”
Excluding Jokic`s five attempts from the backcourt at the close of quarters during that stretch would have notably improved his efficiency figures. He has attempted a total of six such shots in this series and seven throughout the postseason. However, Jokic remains completely indifferent to safeguarding his shooting percentages.
“At this stage of the season, nobody ought to be concerned with such details,” Jokic remarked dismissively following his 44-point performance on 17-of-25 shooting in the Nuggets` Game 5 defeat on Tuesday.
Per Basketball Reference statistics, in the 2023-24 season, the year he earned his third MVP award, Jokic was tied for the NBA lead in backcourt heaves attempted with eight.
Jokic`s stance of never refusing a long-distance shot merely to preserve his shooting percentages—a widespread practice across the league—developed into something of a fixation this season. He actively seeks opportunities for these heaves, attempting 22 in the 2024-25 regular season, which is the highest number recorded by any player in a single season over the 29 years for which the website has this data. His seven playoff heaves to date are five more than any other player has attempted this postseason.
Despite this, Jokic still achieved a career-high 41.7% shooting percentage from beyond the arc this season. During substantial portions of the season, his missed heaves were the primary factor preventing him from leading the league in three-point percentage.
“Fundamentally, most elite shooters are concerned with their statistics,” noted Nuggets interim coach David Adelman. “We frequently see instances where players avoid taking shots as the clock expires or make a last-second pass to sidestep a low-percentage attempt. The fact that Nikola maintains his high shooting percentage while still taking those incredibly long shots—because, ultimately, there`s a slim possibility it could go in and potentially win the game—demonstrates his remarkable unselfishness in every aspect.”
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has attempted six heaves from the backcourt over the first five games of the Western Conference semifinals. He was tied for the league lead with eight such attempts last season, the year he won his third MVP award. Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images
JOKIC WAS PREPARED
for the arrival of Monty McCutchen, the NBA`s senior vice president of referee operations, who visited the Nuggets` team meeting room at their hotel in Abu Dhabi back in October.
Each preseason, a representative from the league`s officiating department briefs every team on rule adjustments and points of emphasis. These sessions are usually quite ordinary, occasionally punctuated by players` amusement when recognizing teammates or opponents in the league`s video examples.
However, Jokic had a specific grievance. He was aware of the league`s plan to address tactics used by clever players in the fourth quarter, particularly when defending a lead, to deliberately waste time before inbounding the ball after the opposition scores.
“I don`t believe that constitutes the primary issue facing the league, especially concerning officiating,” Jokic later complained.
As it happens, Jokic is remarkably skilled in these subtle tactics. Despite possessing arguably the league`s finest hands, he would frequently feign fumbling the ball in such situations. His basketball intelligence is exceptional, yet determining whether he or another player would inbound the ball in these scenarios could intentionally consume several seconds. He even claims to have “stolen 25 seconds” during a single possession last season.
When McCutchen outlined the league`s intention to eliminate these time-wasting maneuvers, Jokic seized the opportunity, challenging him with various hypothetical situations to gauge official responses.
“He instantly proposed four alternative methods that adhered to both the rules and the spirit of the game, and presented questions,” Adelman commented. “He was already ahead of it. He had clearly contemplated this beforehand. For him, it`s purely about securing the victory, using every legitimate means available to find a path to win.”
While these tactics can aid in narrowly won games, they are certainly not conducive to chasing statistics. Nevertheless, Jokic, at 30 years old, already holds the third position in NBA history for career triple-doubles with 164, surpassed only by his teammate Russell Westbrook and the legendary Oscar Robertson.
Jokic has finished just one assist or rebound short of a triple-double so often that these specific stat lines have been informally named a “Sombor Double,” honoring his Serbian hometown. He has accumulated 64 such instances, with 47 occurring in games won by Denver.
One might wonder how many additional triple-doubles Jokic might have recorded if not for his uncommon time-wasting strategies?
“Who is concerned about that?” he responded.
“I find it amusing that his stats are merely a reflection of his play; he doesn`t actively pursue them,” observed Nuggets wing Christian Braun. “It simply demonstrates his exceptional talent. When he achieves stat lines like 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists, that genuinely illustrates his influence on the game.”
During games, Jokic remains acutely aware of the time and score, but he pays no attention whatsoever to individual statistics.
“Reviewing and analyzing statistics at home is not the role of the players,” stated Nuggets assistant coach Ogi Stojakovic. “That responsibility belongs to the coaching staff. Therefore, it is absolutely prohibited for players to check their statistics during a game.”
The Nuggets coaching staff monitors Jokic`s statistics for both amusement and strategic consideration. Denver assistant coach Popeye Jones, for instance, possesses a considerable collection of box scores personally signed by Jokic. The formidable center has generated numerous stat lines previously unseen, along with many others that warrant the description `Not Seen Since Wilt Chamberlain.`
Following a historically notable performance by Jokic, Jones typically brings the box score into the locker room and requests the big man`s autograph. Jokic occasionally appears surprised before signing. As Jones recounted, “He will sometimes ask me, `What occurred? What exactly did I accomplish this evening?`”
PEYTON WATSON HEARD
attentively as Jokic loudly issued instructions from across the lane during a break between Anthony Davis` free throws, with only 0.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter of a game in late November.
Although that minuscule amount of time isn`t sufficient for a catch-and-shoot play, Jokic was determined to attempt a shot regardless, aiming to extend Denver`s 16-point advantage. He directed Watson to throw the inbound pass high towards his right hand, somewhat akin to a post entry feed.
The crucial difference was that Jokic would be positioned just above the block on the Crypto.com Arena court, but on the side furthest from the Nuggets` basket.
“Alright, I suppose,” Watson recalled thinking at that moment. “What precisely is your strategy?”
Jokic was, in fact, still devising his plan as Watson`s pass arced through the air towards him.
“I`m not sure, could I perhaps just punch the ball?” Jokic wondered aloud. “I believe that might be permissible. So, I attempted a kind of simultaneous push/punch motion. My thought was, `Why not? What if it actually goes in?`”
Although officially logged as a 71-foot jump shot, the attempt bore a strong resemblance to a volleyball serve. As the ball flew through the air for a few seconds, it appeared it might actually go in, ultimately missing the hoop by only inches.
“I was thinking to myself, `Man, if this goes in, I`m involved in one of the most incredible plays ever,`” Watson shared. “I had never witnessed such a preposterous shot come that close to finding the net. It was truly astonishing.”
Jokic sought another opportunity for a similar attempt in an early March home game after the Phoenix Suns scored with just 0.2 seconds left in the first quarter. He raised his right hand to signal his desired spot for the inbound pass, but disappointingly for Jokic, Porter failed to understand his intention.
Instead, Porter dropped the ball near Jokic`s feet. Jokic, clearly annoyed, bent down to retrieve it with both hands. After the buzzer sounded, he dismissively tossed the ball towards the far end of the court, his shoulders slumping, and muttered to himself as he slowly made his way to the bench, visibly frustrated at missing the chance for one of the most improbable shots imaginable.
“Yes, I did, I did have that reaction,” Jokic confessed sheepishly, acknowledging his brief display of frustration. “I view it as an opportunity. Why wouldn`t I? It`s worth three points. It has the potential to completely change the momentum of the game.”
Admittedly, Jokic`s strategy has not yielded frequent success. He holds a career record of 2-of-50 on backcourt heaves in regular season play, in addition to 0-of-12 in the playoffs, although he has successfully made several attempts from beyond 40 feet. Both of his successful backcourt shots this season came from one-handed tosses: a 66-foot shot at the end of the third quarter, increasing the Nuggets` lead over the Sacramento Kings to 25 points—an attempt Jokic confidently stated “I knew it was in” during his postgame remarks—and a 63-foot shot that extended Denver`s halftime lead over the Utah Jazz to 10 points.
According to ESPN Research analysis, Jokic`s two successful long-distance heaves were the two longest made shots across the entire league this season. Over the last 25 years, he is one of only two players to sink two shots from over 60 feet in a single season, the other being Hall of Famer Vince Carter in the 2015-16 campaign.
Furthermore, during the regular season, Jokic attempted 12 shots that were even longer than his successful 66-footer, including four from a distance of 80 feet or more. On several occasions, immediately after securing a defensive rebound, Jokic would quickly pivot and launch the ball. The potential for three points, however remote, holds significantly more value for Jokic than merely preserving his shooting percentage.
“In our culture, we have a concept known as `basketball gods,`” Stojakovic explained. “If you approach the game incorrectly or fail to show it respect, the basketball gods will impose consequences. Conversely, if you play the game properly, the basketball gods will grant rewards. Therefore, the aim is never to cheat the game. He strives to gain every tiny advantage possible to win.”
