Shaquille O’Neal Offers Solution for Nikola Jokic Amid Nuggets-Clippers

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May 4, 2025 - 05:30
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Saturday, on Inside the NBA, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal offered a pointed strategy for Nikola Jokic as the Denver Nuggets prepare to host the Los Angeles Clippers in a winner‑take‑all Game 7 of their first‑round series.

Sitting beside Ernie Johnson, Shaq dissected Denver’s center‑defender matchups and balked at Coach David Adelman’s supposed “let it go from three” approach.

"If I’m the Joker, I’m making sure they double me," O’Neal said. "Get inside, make them double you so you can do what you do... When you’re aggressive, they’re going to panic, they’re going to double, and then you can get everybody involved.”

"It’s Game 7. You win, you get the praise. You don’t win, everybody's going to be looking at you. So, since it’s in your hands, I say be aggressive," Shaq said. 

Denver overcame key injuries and a late-season coaching adjustment to finish 50-32, fourth in the Western Conference.

Three‑time MVP Jokic delivered historic numbers: a 61‑point triple‑double (most ever) and a record 31 triple‑doubles, the most ever by a center. 

He ended the season averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, becoming just the third player in league history to average a triple-double for a season. 

NBA analyst and former player Shaquille O'Neal.Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

After racing to a 3-2 series lead, powered by Jokic’s triple‑doubles in Games 3 and 4, the Nuggets saw the Clippers respond with consecutive wins, setting the stage for Saturday’s decider at Ball Arena.

Now, the NBA awaits a classic heavyweight clash between a transcendent playmaker and a veteran, defensively stout Clippers squad.

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