Nikola Jokic didn't dominate Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals like he did Game 1, but his fingerprints were still all over the game.
Jokic followed his historic 34-point, 21-rebound, 14-assist triple-double in Game 1 with a 23-point, 17-rebound, 12-assist triple-double in Game 2. He now has seven triple-doubles in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Nobody else has more than one.
You don't get a triple-double without impacting the game in a number of areas, but there is one particular way Jokic is hurting the Lakers in the series.
MORE: Jimmy Butler was even more surgical than stats suggest in Game 1
The biggest way Nikola Jokic is outsmarting the Lakers
The Lakers became a more dominant offensive rebounding team after remaking their roster.
In the 27 regular season games the Lakers played after the trade deadline, they jumped to 11th in offensive rebounds per game (10.8) and 10th in second chance points per game (14.3). They've posted similar numbers through 14 games in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The best offensive rebounder on the Lakers is Anthony Davis. The problem he faces in this series is he's matched up primarily with Jokic, who is one of the best rebounders in the league. (Only Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged more defensive rebounds per game than him in the regular season.) Jokic is also excellent at pushing the ball himself despite not being the quickest or most athletic on the court, so he's a grab-and-go threat.
Not only have Jokic and the Nuggets done a good job of keeping Davis and the Lakers off the offensive glass, but they've been able to punish them for pursuing those opportunities. The same goes for when they haven't been able to capitalize on shots around the basket.
| Series | Games | Offensive rebounds per game | Second chance points per game |
| First round vs. Grizzlies | 6 | 11.3 | 17.3 |
| Second round vs. Warriors | 6 | 8.2 | 11.0 |
| Third round vs. Nuggets | 2 | 4.5 | 9.5 |
It often looks like Jokic is searching for Davis when he gets a defensive rebound. If Davis is ahead of him, he'll often bring the ball up slowly or kick it out to someone else. If he and Davis are side-by-side, he'll push the ball as hard as he can to take advantage of Davis being out of position.
Possessions like this show the type of pressure that can put on the Lakers defensively:
D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and LeBron James are the only players in front of Jokic when he crosses halfcourt. Because someone has to stop the ball, Reaves parks himself in the center of the court. That leaves Michael Porter Jr., who is shooting 42.2 percent from 3-point range in these playoffs, alone on the wing.
Jokic recorded 12 assists in Game 2. Four of his assists came in the open court.
Those don't even account for the times that Jokic made the pass that led to the assist.
Or when him running the floor hard opened up an opportunity for someone else.
The Nuggets left some food on their plate as well.
In total, the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 19-13 in transition in Game 1. That gap wasn't nearly as wide in Game 2 (22-21 in favor of the Nuggets) but getting out in the open court was Denver's best source of offense for large chunks of the game.
How Anthony Davis and the Lakers can adjust
After Game 2, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was asked how to best balance pursuing offensive rebounds with getting back in transition.
"Yeah, I mean, we have a rule, like if you're in a certain space on a floor on the weak side, then you have permission to crash as hard as you can," Ham said. "But if you're up top, above the break, I mean, you got to sprint back on shot, not when the ball hits the rim, not when it lands or if someone catches it, as soon as you see your teammate, the ball leave his hands, you got to be back.
"So that's one of the things that we'll try to be better at come Game 3."
While it's a big part of their identity, this might be a series the Lakers have to scale back how aggressively they attack the offensive glass.