{"id":124777,"date":"2025-05-12T12:01:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=124777"},"modified":"2025-05-12T12:01:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:01:57","slug":"fatigue-hartenstein-and-unsung-hero-fueling-nikola-jokics-struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/12\/fatigue-hartenstein-and-unsung-hero-fueling-nikola-jokics-struggles\/","title":{"rendered":"Fatigue, Hartenstein, And Unsung Hero Fueling Joki\u0107\u2019s Struggles"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Nuggets<\/a> find themselves in an unexpected fight. After four games, their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> is tied 2-2. The biggest surprise? The recent string of Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a> struggles. Known for his efficient offense and unselfish play, Joki\u0107 now faces one of the most difficult stretches of his career.<\/p>\n

Fatigue, Hartenstein, And An Unsung Hero Fueling Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s Struggles<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A Rough Shooting Stretch for the MVP<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Joki\u0107 scored 27 points in Game 4, but his efficiency told a different story. He went just 7-of-22 from the field and missed two key free throws late in the game. For the first time in his career, Joki\u0107 has shot below 40% in three straight games where he attempted at least 15 shots. Over the past three contests, he has gone 21-of-63 from the field\u2014just 33.3%.<\/p>\n

These Nikola Joki\u0107 struggles have come at a surprising time, especially after he dropped 42 points in the series opener. However, since then, his shooting and passing have both suffered. His assist-to-turnover ratio sits at 19 to 23. He managed just three assists in Game 4, his lowest of the postseason.<\/p>\n

The Role of Fatigue and Tough Defense<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This grueling playoff schedule may have played a role. The Nuggets just wrapped up a seven-game battle with the Clippers<\/a> before facing the Thunder. Game 4 marked Denver’s seventh game in 13 days. Joki\u0107 logged 43 minutes, following a 44-minute effort in Game 3.<\/p>\n

Despite the fatigue factor, Joki\u0107 has refused to use it as an excuse. “When I play, I don’t think about that,” he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Thunder, meanwhile, have applied relentless physical pressure. Their defense has crowded Joki\u0107 with size, double-teams, and smart rotations. Oklahoma City\u2019s strategy has paid off, frustrating Denver\u2019s star center with every possession.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Hartenstein: The Tactical Switch That Changed the Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Initially, Chet Holmgren<\/a> matched up with Joki\u0107 in Game 1. Joki\u0107 exploited that matchup, scoring 42 points while bullying the lighter Holmgren inside. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault adjusted quickly. In came Isaiah Hartenstein.<\/a><\/p>\n

Since taking over as Joki\u0107\u2019s primary defender, Hartenstein has held him to just 13-of-32<\/a> shooting. In Game 4 alone, Joki\u0107 went 3-of-10 with Hartenstein guarding him. The big man has done more than just hold his ground. He\u2019s stayed disciplined, using his length and physicality to wear down the Serbian superstar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just stay focused on executing our team defense,\u201d Hartenstein said<\/a>. \u201cJoki\u0107 will hit tough shots, but we stay disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\n

This defensive shift represents the most visible factor behind the recent Nikola Joki\u0107 struggles.<\/p>\n

The Jaylin Williams Factor: An Unexpected Hero<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Jaylin
May 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) attempts a shot under pressure from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) in the second quarter during game four of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Hartenstein has earned praise, another name deserves recognition\u2014Jaylin Williams<\/a>. Often overlooked, Williams has had a tremendous impact guarding Joki\u0107. In his minutes as primary defender, Joki\u0107 is just 5-of-18<\/a> from the field.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a shooting percentage of just 27.8%.<\/p>\n

His impact goes beyond shot contests. Against Williams, Joki\u0107 has more turnovers than assists\u2014just two assists to four turnovers. That\u2019s a rare stat line for one of the game\u2019s best passers.<\/p>\n

Williams barely played in Game 1. However, after his defensive impact became clear, the Thunder coaching staff increased his minutes significantly. Since then, Joki\u0107\u2019s efficiency has plummeted. He\u2019s endured the worst three-game shooting stretch of his entire NBA career.<\/p>\n

Coincidence? Probably not.<\/p>\n

Denver Must Continue to Adjust Amid Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s Struggles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Nuggets now face a crucial moment as the game heads to Oklahoma. Joki\u0107 must find ways to adapt as the thunder continue to throw new defensive wrinkles at him. Denver\u2019s role players must continue to contribute, especially with their superstar struggling. They have already won one game despite his struggles.<\/p>\n

If Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s struggles persist, Denver\u2019s title hopes may evaporate. Fatigue, Hartenstein\u2019s savvy defense, and Williams’ defensive emergence have combined to frustrate the MVP.<\/p>\n

Joki\u0107 has overcome adversity before. But this time, he faces a team built to challenge every inch of his game. With the series now a best-of-three, how he responds could define the Nuggets\u2019 postseason.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Denver Nuggets find themselves in an unexpected fight. After four games, their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder is tied 2-2. The biggest surprise? The recent string of Nikola Joki\u0107 struggles. Known for his efficient offense and unselfish play, Joki\u0107 now faces one of the most difficult stretches of his career. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":139118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,20,22],"tags":[50041,4292,993,4049,72],"class_list":["post-124777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-nuggets","category-thunder","tag-2025-nba-playoffs","tag-chet-holmgren","tag-isaiah-hartenstein","tag-jaylin-williams","tag-nikola-jokic"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124777"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139119,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124777\/revisions\/139119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}