The Los Angeles Clippers went small down the stretch of their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, putting PJ Tucker on the reigning Finals MVP for some of the game’s most crucial plays. When asked about his strategy against this coverage after the game, Jokic stated that nothing has changed for him.

“To be honest, [the approach] didn’t change,” Jokic admitted. “I think the good thing about them is that they are aggressive, regardless of who guards, like if you see them pressing full court and always having their hands on our body.” They are usually pushy, which is a wonderful feature about him, but it made no difference. I was attempting to play the same way I had my entire life. But, of course, PJ [Tucker] is a good defender; he is strong and moves well.”

Tucker guarded Jokic on 12 possessions, according to NBA matchup stats, during which Jokic shot 0/3 from the floor with two turnovers. While the NBA’s matchup data is imperfect in determining who the primary defender is on each possession, it provides a good starting point for analyzing individual matchup trends.

Jokic shot just 8/23 from the field, but his 9 assists lead the team, and they were frequently the result of the Clippers sending help when a smaller defender was on Jokic.