The Denver Nuggets registered a stunning win over an out-of-form Golden State Warriors last night. Last season’s Finals MVP, Nikola Jokić, played a huge role in this newfound dominance for the Mile High City, being a consistent performer for the team. Jokić scored 13 of his 16 field goal attempts in this game, adding to his incredible 39-44 FG within the last four games.
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In last night’s game against the Warriors, Jokić scored 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, including a 40-footer over Kevon Looney from the right sideline, at the buzzer, to seal the deal with 130-127. Jokić has greatly improved his shooting, which otherwise was a matter of concern for the Nuggets fans, at least until a few weeks back.
When TNT’s Inside The NBA host Ernie Johnson asked Jokić about his improved shooting in the last four games, the Serbian star hilariously replied,
“Sometimes the ball goes in, sometimes not. I had one of the best shooting nights and one of the worst. It is what it is.”
By worst shooting night, Jokić must be talking about his previous game against the Warriors in December, where he scored only 26 points from 4-12 FGs. Perhaps this moment must have been humbling for the Joker, who took it upon himself to practice his shooting and, therefore, hold such a new record.
Without Draymond Green, the Warriors seemed to be quite in the shambles in defending against the Nuggets. While the Nuggets team showed incredible chemistry in grabbing this win, the Warriors, on the other hand, got a brutal reality check on how their ‘dynasty team’ is failing to stick together in their plays.
This lack of direction has left Steve Kerr scratching his head for a workable rotation pattern. As much as Kerr is trying to fill the gaping defensive void left by Green’s indefinite suspension, it seems like the Dubs are lathering up their dynamic offensively. This has effectively left Kerr to make uncomfortable rotational changes, which sometimes seem to backfire against him.
Nikola Jokić has maintained his sharp shooting skills in last four games
After the game against the Warriors on Christmas Day, the 2x season MVP must have put in some great work to return with an 11-11 FG play in the next game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Since then, the Joker has been unstoppable with his shooting prowess, with an impressive 86.6% shooting percentage and only five missed shots in his last four games.
The game against the Grizzlies marked the 116th regular season triple-double for the Serbian star and the third of his career with a 100% FG from the field, matching Wilt Chamberlain’s previous record. With such incredible stats and achievements, Jokić currently stands second on the MVP ladder, only behind Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.
With his current averages of 26 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, Jokić was one of the favorites for the MVP title early in the season until Embiid surpassed him this December after a dominant 51-point performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves. When the Nuggets and the Sixers play each other this month, the odds will surely swing depending on the results of the matchups.
