Another tough loss for Denver, this time after a fierce battle and two overtimes at the iconic Madison Square Garden. New York ultimately had more composure and luck, winning 134-127.
Nikola Jokic recorded his 17th triple-double of the season, but also set a negative career mark, missing 13 of 14 three-point attempts.
The Serbian star gave it his all, playing nearly 45 minutes, the most since returning to the court, scoring 30 points (27-10 shooting), grabbing 14 rebounds, and distributing 10 assists. Yet, it wasn’t enough for a victory.
Denver is now 0-2 in its last two marquee matchups, with tough games still ahead. The team’s rim defense remains a weak spot, and Gordon’s injury created a gap that Jokic and Valanciunas couldn’t cover—and there’s no third option.
To make matters worse, Watson suffered an injury in the 4th quarter, limping to the locker room, with the severity still unknown.
For Denver, Murray played well, scoring 39 points (6 assists, 5 rebounds), while Hardaway added 19 points, but that was about it.
On the winning side, Brunson shone in the clutch with 42 points (9 assists, 8 rebounds), supported by Towns (24p, 12r), Anunoby (20p, 8r, 4a), and Schemett (16p).
Denver remains 3rd in the Western Conference (33-19), while New York is 2nd in the East (33-18).
Next up, Jokic and the Nuggets travel to Chicago on Saturday, where fans can expect Jokic to showcase his full skill set on “home turf” in front of thousands of Serbian supporters.
MORE TOPICS:
PACT AGAINST SERBIA? Croatia, Albania and so-called Kosovo held a meeting on “defense cooperation”!
Source: Antonije Kovačević Foto: Imagn Images / ddp USA / Profimedia