Dwight Howard shouts "Batman's coming for you, Joker," at Jokic during Lakers Game 3 loss

Nikola Jokic, nicknamed The Joker due to his unpredictability, has been unstoppable during the Denver Nuggets' postseason run at the NBA bubble. Jokic is averaging 25.2 points and 10.2 rebounds during the playoffs, working well with Jamal Murray to help the Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals. However, before the Nuggets 114-106 Game 3 victory, Dwight Howard continued to talk trash with Jokic, who finished the game with 22 points. 

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"Batman's coming for you, Joker": Dwight Howard to Nikola Jokic from the bench

While Dwight Howard has been trying to rile up Nikola Jokic this entire series, it appears that the Lakers centre has been reading Sam Amick's column for The Athletic. On Sunday, Amick wrote about Howard trying to frustrate Jokic so much, that he could now be called Batman. Jokic has been called The Joker since around 2017, courtesy of his ability to surprise people and unpredictability on and off the court. As per reports, Mike Miller had given him the nickname during practice, which Jokic had mentioned he likes more than his former monicker Big Honey, which didn't really stick. 

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According to reports, Howard has been persistent with his trash talk this series. According to Amick, Howard and Markieff Morris told the Nuggets to "go home" after Anthony Davis drowned his game-winning three-pointer. With this win, however, the Nuggets at least have two more games left at the NBA bubble. 

Lakers vs Nuggets highlights: Nuggets win Game 3, cut Lakers lead to 2-1

Jamal Murray, with his 28 points and 12 assists, led the Nuggets to their victory, pulling them back from the brink of elimination. Jokic posted 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 9-of-14 from the field. Jerami Grant stepped up for the Nuggets, finishing with playoffs career-high 26 points. The Nuggets almost lost their 20-point lead in the final period, but managed to avoid a 3-0 fall, which no team has come back from in the NBA history. 

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"Everybody always has us packing our bags and leaving, but we're not ready to go," coach Michael Malone said. "For some reason we love this bubble." LeBron James accepted that while the Lakers played a good fourth quarter, their initial 36 minutes "hurt". James scored his 26th playoff triple-double – 30 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds – for the Lakers. James, along with Davis – who had 27 points – could lead the Lakers to their first NBA Finals in ten years. Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday, 9:00 PM EST (Friday, 6:30 AM IST). 

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(Image credits: Denver Nuggets, Dwight Howard Instagram)