Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets have one last chance to advance to the next round in their upcoming Game 7 on May 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jokić and the Nuggets have played well, but now their backs are against the wall.

The story of this era of Denver Nuggets basketball is the story of Nikola Jokić bailing out underwhelming rosters. Their net rating drops by a million points whenever Jokić goes to the bench. They lose playoff games and series when his supporting cast can't lift him up.

Following Tuesday night's win, Jokić was asked to recall a key quote of his about Murray from that first Nuggets title run that feels evergreen right now. After an electric Murray led those Nuggets to a decisive Game 1 win over the Phoenix Suns in 2023's second round, Jokić referred to his running mate as the Nuggets' "best player."