“Gave Me Complete and Total Hell”: Draymond Green Confesses Mutual Respect for Nikola Jokic Despite Being Dominated Whole Game

On Sunday, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was in his element against the Golden State Warriors and delivered one of his best regular season performances to help his team secure a 119-103 win. The Serbian center dominated the Draymond Green-led Warriors’ defense dropping 32 points, 16 assists, and 16 rebounds to help his team overturn a 16-point first-half deficit into a 16-point win. On the Draymond Green Show, the Warriors forward gave Jokic his flowers and admitted that he had no answers for the Nuggets superstar on the court.

Joker became only the second player after Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic to record a 30-15-15 game this season. Green admitted his defeat against Jokic saying,

“Joker gave me complete hell tonight. I’ve had my fair share of good matchups against Joker. I’ve given him a little bit of hell on some nights, but he gave me total and complete hell tonight and I had absolutely no answers and I’m just going to laugh about it because either you laugh or you cry.”

Green claimed Jokic caught him in the chin with his shoulder, but the referees missed it and let play continue. So the Warriors veteran took matters into his own hands and bear-hugged the Nuggets superstar to prevent him from getting an easy bucket.

Green revealed that Jokic admitted he should’ve been called for a foul. He was also remorseful about the hit and said it was unintentional, and the Warriors forward responded that he wasn’t upset about it.

 

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The 4x NBA champion added that he and Jokic have mutual respect. Their battles on the court are fueled by their desires to win rather than personal grudges. Even if they are involved in a skirmish, they don’t hold a grudge because they recognize it’s stemming from their competitiveness. Green paid homage to Joker and said he loved playing against the Serbian superstar.

Nikola Jokic and Draymond Green’s head-to-head duels

Nikola Jokic’s triple-double on Sunday was his fourth in his last eight regular games against the Warriors. It was his second straight and third in five meetings when playing against Draymond Green.

While Jokic has had a handful of good performances against Green, the Warriors forward has been a tough matchup for the Serbian center. Since the 2017-18 season, Jokic has played 23 regular season games against the Warriors and has averaged 23 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. However, in 14 matches against Green, he’s averaging 20.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists.

In the 2022 playoffs, Jokic and the Nuggets met Green and the Warriors in the first round. The two-time MVP was magnificent and averaged 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists. However, his injury-riddled team was no match for the eventual champions, who won the series 4-1.

Jokic and Green’s battles on the court have gotten critical since the Serbian superstar became the focal point of the Nuggets’ offensive strategy. The Warriors’ odds of beating the Nuggets rely solely on Green’s ability to contain Jokic. The duo have a healthy rivalry and get the best out of each other. Their paths could cross in the 2024 playoffs, and if it does, the result will boil down to who wins the duel between Jokic and Green.