Nikola Jokic hit a bizarre, hilarious, one-legged game-winner - a shot he invented while recovering from a sprained ankle
- Nikola Jokic led his Denver Nuggets past the Utah Jazz with a massive triple-double, but it was his awkward, one-footed game-winner that made headlines.
- The lopsided fade-away - which put the Nuggets ahead for good with a minute remaining in Wednesday night's thriller - has become known as the "The Sombor Shuffle."
- According to The DNVR and SB Nation, Jokic invented the shot while recovering from an ankle sprain he sustained in 2017 to help alleviate strain on his bum ankle.
- He also told media that the move is his go-to while playing HORSE.
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Nikola Jokic is a one-of-a-kind player, and Wednesday night he used a one-of-a-kind shot to push his shorthanded Denver Nuggets past the Utah Jazz.
With a minute remaining and the Nuggets down by one, Jokic took a dribble and created some space from two-time reigning defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert before rising up on his right foot and sinking a mid-range fadeaway jumper.
The unorthodox move - which has become known as "The Sombor Shuffle" - isn't the most picturesque of signature shots among NBA stars. Still, Jokic has been knocking it down consistently since returning to the court after sustaining a left ankle injury back in 2017.
And as it turns out, he created the shot in the midst of his recovery, according to The DNVR and SB Nation's Adam Mares.
"I asked him about it after the game and he said that he invented that shot back when he was coming back from his ankle injury," Mares wrote. "Shooting off his right like that allowed him to balance without putting pressure on his sore left foot."
Though his left ankle has presumably returned to full strength in the two years since he first injured it against the Chicago Bulls, Jokic has stuck with the move. And after he came up clutch against the Jazz, Jokic told media that he perfected the shot while playing HORSE with teammates and members of Denver's staff.
Many have likened the step-back jumper to the one-legged fadeaway made famous by Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. Though Nowitzki shot off of his left foot and typically used his shoulder to create more space, "The Sombor Shuffle" is undoubtedly reminiscent of the iconic forward's signature move.
Jokic finished the night with a massive 30-point, 21-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double in the come-from-behind win, becoming the third player since the NBA and ABA merged in 1976 to post a 30-20-10 triple-double, per the NBA.
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