I really think the Rockets unlocked the key to beating Denver. Basically making Jokic a 1 dimensional threat. Let Jokic score 40-50 points and shutdown everyone else.
Basically don’t double Jokic. Don’t hedge. Stick to shooters. Keep Gordon off the boards. Don’t let Murray go off.
It is telling that the Suns beat Denver in the playoffs when Jokic scored 53.
You have to pick your poison. You can’t shut down his scoring AND his passing. And if you try focusing on stopping his scoring he is big enough and skilled enough to still score over double teams.
Basically I’d rather see Jokic put up 45/10/5 than 27/10/15
In a 7 game series it will also tire out Jokic. Scoring 35-40 points every game is exhausting.
I mean this has been known and abused when Murray isn’t playing. The problem is their 2 man game when Murray is healthy which makes it hard to punish and usually leaves a wide open shooter