Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Says Suns 'Whupped Our Ass' in Sweep
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Sometimes you just have to tip your cap, and that is exactly what Nikola Jokic did after the Phoenix Suns completed their second-round sweep of the Denver Nuggets with a 125-118 victory in Sunday’s Game 4.
“They beat us, they whupped our ass,” he told reporters. “The whole team needs to walk out with their heads up. Sometimes the other team is better, and you have to accept it.”
Jokic was largely impressive throughout the series, but he didn’t help his team’s cause when he was ejected in the third quarter Sunday for hitting Cameron Payne in the face as he went for the ball. Officials deemed it a flagrant-2 foul upon review and threw him out of the game.
The league MVP finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists and was not on the floor for crunch time as Chris Paul (37 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals) and Devin Booker (34 points, 11 rebounds and four assists) put the Suns on their back.
To Denver’s credit, it cut into Phoenix’s double-digit lead in the fourth quarter even without Jokic, but the comeback effort ran out of steam as Paul made a number of clutch plays in the final minutes.
It is difficult to argue with Jokic’s assessment.
