In the 2020 Western Conference finals, Dwight Howard managed to slow down the usually unstoppable Nikola Jokic. Jokic’s stats dropped against Howard and the Lakers compared to his performance in the first two rounds of the playoffs, ultimately leading to a 4-1 series win for LA and an NBA championship.
This week, Howard revealed the extreme lengths he went to in order to stop Jokic, studying him extensively and even engaging in mind games off the court.
It’s worth noting that Jokic was younger and not yet at his current MVP level when he faced Howard in 2020. Despite this, Howard expressed confidence in his ability to still help the Lakers against the Nuggets in the present day.
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