By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Michael Porter Jr. matched a career-high 39 points and Nikola Jokic posted a double-double as the Denver Nuggets overpowered the New Orleans Pelicans, 144-119, in Ball Arena on Wednesday.
With his side improving to 32-19 in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, the Serbian superstar dropped 38 points with 15/28 field goals, including 5/13 from beyond the arc, ten assists, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal over 35 minutes.
Besides Slovenian Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery), Croatian Dario Saric stayed on the bench for the team coached by Michael Malone. On the losing end, Croatian Karlo Matkovic recorded his first NBA start with ten points, nine rebounds, two blocks, one steal, and one assist over 29 minutes.
In Wells Fargo Center, Nikola Jovic made 8/9 field goals en route to 23 points for the Miami Heat in a 108-101 victory versus the Philadelphia 76ers. The 21-year-old Serbian forward added seven assists and five rebounds, and Swedish teammate Pelle Larsson put in five points. For the Sixers, French Guerschon Yabusele paired nine points with nine rebounds and Turkish Adem Bona combined 11 points with five rebounds.
Listed as questionable due to right patella tendinopathy, Giannis Antetokounmpo was eventually ruled out with left calf tightness, but the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Charlotte Hornets, 112-102, in Spectrum Center. With the Hornets sidelining Serbian Vasilije Micic due to left ankle soreness, European action was limited to French teammates, Moussa Diabate and Tidjane Salaun, producing a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double and scoring ten points, respectively.