By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After being named a finalist for the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award, Nikola Jokic finished second in the vote results, as announced on Wednesday.
Jalen Brunson got the nod with 426 total points, including 70 first-place votes in a global media panel stretching to 100 voters.
The Serbian superstar of the Denver Nuggets gathered 312 points behind 26 first-place, 58 second-place, and eight third-place selections.
The 28-year-old combo guard of the New York Knicks will receive the Jerry West Trophy as the Clutch Player of the 2024-25 Regular Season, after averaging a league-high 5.6 points per contest in clutch situations, when the score is within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. He recorded 156 points with 52 made field goals and dished out 28 assists.
The former Villanova standout is the third winner, following Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors in 2023-24 and De’Aaron Fox with the Sacramento Kings in 2022-23.
The award focus for Jokic extends to the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. The three-time season MVP was recently placed among the three finalists, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google, the Joker is preparing for Game 3 of a best-of-seven series in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Tied at 1-1 with the Los Angeles Clippers after two meetings in Denver, the next clash is in Intuit Dome on Thursday.