“Nikola Jokic will be one of just 5 NBA MVPs to lose in the first round”: The Joker ends up on the wrong side of record books as Stephen Curry and Co win the series

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 4-1 and gave Nikola Jokic an undesirable record to live with for the rest of his life.

It was certainly looking like one of those Warriors’ series where teams get blown away even before they realize what hit them, but the Nuggets put up a fight that almost caught Stephen Curry’s team struggling in Game 5.

Having one of the most loosely built squads without their consistent scorers Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Nikola Jokic’s team showed some grit and determination to finish their season 48-34 clear of the Play-in spot.

Also read: “Nikola Jokic, Thank you for making me better”: Draymond Green has a special message for The Joker as Warriors eliminate Nuggets

Their reigning-defending MVP was up for the task, giving his all in leading them to the grandest Basketball stages of all. He averaged an insane 31-points, 13-rebounds, and 6-assists on 58/28/85 shooting, but came a bit short in delivering what would have been the biggest disappointments of the 2022 Playoffs.

That meant he and the Nuggets crashed out of the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

Nikola Jokic will be only the 5th MVP in NBA history to get out in the first round of the playoffs

Surely, it would have been an entirely different conversation if either Murray or Michael Porter Jr. were available in this series, but as things stand, the Warriors went past the Nuggets on a hard-fought Wednesday night, winning the series 4-1.

This will be only the 5th time out of 65 in NBA history, that an MVP – which The Joker will likely become in a couple of days, will fail to take his team through to the second round of the Playoffs. Thanks to a Redditor for getting our attention to it.

This would be the 2nd dent on his short MVP/Playoffs resume having already become the 5th MVP to be swept in a playoff series last season at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. “5” doesn’t seem to be a lucky number for the Nuggets’ five.

Also read: “Without Gary Payton II, the Warriors wouldn’t have won Game 5!”: LeBron James and NBA Twitter laud GP2 for his sensational production helping Stephen Curry and co. advance to the playoffs’ 2nd round

Even though he’s on a short-list of an undesirable record, this season wasn’t a failure for either Jokic or the Nuggets. They fought pretty hard in their last two games unlike their first-3 and showed what they could be in the next season with two or more All-Star-like players in the squad.