By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Officially listed by the Denver Nuggets with inflammation in the left hip and right wrist, Nikola Jokic was far from slowing down during the opener of the NBA Sundays schedule. He lasted 35 minutes, tallying a triple-double with 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists.
“I don’t know if rest can help me. In my opinion, it is an injury that I can play with,” he replied to a question about the wrist injury after a win versus the Cleveland Cavaliers in Ball Arena on Sunday, “I feel it, but I can play with it. It kind of bothers me. So, I am kind of used to it.”
The reigning NBA champions connected 21/33 three-pointers, navigating most of the 48 minutes closer to 70% from beyond the arc.
“We made a lot of shots. That is the first thing,” the Serbian superstar described recovering from two straight losses, “In the last two games, maybe we did not make a total of 21 threes.”
Improving to 52-23 in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season, the Nuggets clinched a berth in the Playoffs. Battling the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves for the top seed in the Western Conference bracket is the goal with seven games left in the Regular Season. The San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama are up next to wrap up a five-game homestand on Tuesday.
Jokic, 29, is averaging 26.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest over 71 appearances this season.