By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Falling one assist shy of yet another triple-double, Serbian Nikola Jokic helped keep the Denver Nuggets take down the Charlotte Hornets, 129-115, in Ball Arena on Thursday.
Packing 29 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists, one block, and one steal, a brilliant performance extended to making 11/22 from the field, including six three-pointers. Sidekick Jamal Murray produced 34 more points.
Croatian Dario Saric did not play and Slovenian Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery) remained sidelined for the team coached by Michael Malone.
Starting for the visitors, Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic piled up nine points, ten rebounds, seven assists, one block, and one steal. Off the bench, French imports Moussa Diabate paired 11 points with six rebounds and Tidjane Salaun combined three points with eight rebounds.
Returning to action after missing six games of the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season and the 2025 All-Star Game due to a left calf strain, Giannis Antetokounmpo powered the Milwaukee Bucks in a 116-110 victory versus the Los Angeles Clippers in Fiserv Forum.
After trailing by 13 points in the fourth quarter, the Freak alongside Damian Lillard took over to secure a win. The Greek superstar ended up with 23 points, including ten in the last 12 minutes. He added eight points, four assists, and one block.
On the losing end, Croatian Ivica Zubac posted a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double plus four blocks, one assist, and one steal. Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic settled with 15 points, five assists, two steals, and two rebounds. French Nicolas Batum had three points, one assist, one steal, and one rebound.