One of the most entertaining games of the NBA season came to a perfect end on Thursday, when Nikola Jokic threw a dazzling inbound pass to Gary Harris, who hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Denver Nuggets a 127-124 victory against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was a brilliant pass, but it took a while to develop (some, including Thunder fans, might say it took longer than five seconds). Jokic surveyed the court until Harris finally broke free for a good look from distance.
CLUTCH!
— NBA (@NBA) February 2, 2018
Gary Harris knocks down the three to win it! @Tissot #ThisIsYourTime pic.twitter.com/yQdT0hl6IZ
How did Harris get such a good look? If you ask Jokic (which they did after the game) he said it's because Russell Westbrook had a momentary lapse -- though Jokic didn't put it so kindly.
"They played really good defense. They didn't let the guy go on the top," Jokic said after the game. "And I think Russell fell asleep, and let Gary slide to the spot, knock down the 3. That's probably one of the best assists of my life."
Jokic on Gary Harris' game winner: "I think Russell fell asleep" pic.twitter.com/jnxLjdPd5i
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) February 2, 2018
It was a great assist from Jokic, who also had a triple-double with 29 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds -- and he certainly wasn't wrong. Westbrook clearly got caught ball-watching and it was his man, Harris, who hit the winner.
But as a young player in the league, Jokic might want to be careful who he calls out on national TV, particularly when it's a reigning MVP who you might see again in a playoff series.