On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the monumental task of trying to contain Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.
Of course, Jokic is a leading candidate for the MVP award.
Lakers big man Marc Gasol helped his team accomplish the task, and afterward, he received praise from Jokic himself.
Nikola Jokic: “I think we all forget who Marc Gasol is. The guy who won two defensive players of the year.”
— Mike Singer (@msinger) May 4, 2021
Ever since L.A. acquired Andre Drummond, Gasol has been in and out of the team’s rotation. The Spanish native was the Lakers’ starting center prior to Drummond coming on board.
On Monday, Jokic managed to score 32 points, but he shot just 12-of-28 from the field and was held to just five assists.
On the season, he’s averaging 26.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 56.4 percent from the field.
L.A. was also aided by Anthony Davis, who continued to round back into top form with 25 points on the night.
In a game where both teams struggled to get going offensively, it was defense that got the Lakers the much-needed win.
