Nikola Jokić

Slow starts are meaningless as long as you can finish like Nikola Jokić. The two-time MVP shook off a cold night from the field by heating up when it mattered most in Game 5 of the First Round against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With his Denver Nuggets clinging to a two-point fourth quarter lead, the Joker received a pass in the lane from Jamal Murray and fooled both Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns with a slight pump fake before finishing with an and-1 hook shot while drawing a foul on Towns. Jokić scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half and completed a triple-double with 17 rebounds and 12 assists in Denver’s 112-109 closeout victory on April 25, 2023 in the 4-1 series win, setting up a Western Conference Semifinals showdown with the Phoenix Suns.

Championship Year