Nikola Jokic Secures Historic NBA Finals Berth, Fends off Incredible Throwback Performance from LeBron James

In an epic battle of NBA stars, 32-year-old Nikola Jokic pulled off the impossible, leading the Denver Nuggets to their first ever NBA Finals appearance. In the process, Denver set the record for most seasons before a Finals appearance in league history.

Jokic, literally and figuratively, put the Nuggets on his back to get the job done. He earned the Magic Johnson Western Conference finals MVP award, recording a triple-double with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. Meanwhile, LeBron James put on a legendary performance of his own, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a playoff game.

The two stars traded incredible highlight-reel plays throughout the game, with the outcome seemingly shifting every few minutes. However, it was Jokic who had the last laugh, scoring the go-ahead bucket with 51 seconds left to secure the Game 4 victory and the series sweep for Denver. As quoted by Jokic himself: “LeBron is capable of doing everything.” Monday night, it was the Nuggets who did everything, and are now headed to the NBA Finals.