“The Serbian duel between Nikola Jokić and Darko Rajaković was spectacular. The player-coach and bench coach had a fierce clash, in which they both excelled. Nikola Jokić reached his 133rd career triple-double, and Darko Rajaković showed how he can handle the best basketball player in the world.

Victory, however, eluded Toronto as Nikola snatched a 121-119 win. Denver has been inconsistent since the start of the season, not yet showing the potential of a team that could reach another championship after a one-year break.

A lot is expected of Russell Westbrook, and a lot is also expected of some guys who have underperformed, like Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr., who are constantly battling injuries and inconsistency. Nikola Jokić doesn’t have that problem, as he reached a triple-double by the end of the third quarter, the 133rd of his career in the regular season.

There were once again moves to enjoy, just the way Nikola likes to provide.

Darko Rajaković knew how to respond to all of Jokić’s moves. Toronto took the lead at the end of the first quarter and controlled the game for a long time, finally reaching a double-digit lead in the third quarter. Denver struggled to erase this lead for a long time but managed to bring the game into a tight finish, reducing the deficit to 111-109 with three minutes remaining.

Denver also had a personnel problem due to Gordon’s injury, who spent only four minutes on the court and was not risked further, but even without him, Denver entered the “penalty shootout” in which the teams took turns leading. The victory was snatched by a lineup that was not expected to do so – Jokić drew up plays for the reserves.

In the end, Jokić had 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in 38 minutes on the court. Westbrook followed him with 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Porter added 19 points. In Toronto, VanVleet scored 26 points, Poeltl had 24 points with 10 rebounds and three assists, and Barnes added 18 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.

Westbrook followed him accordingly, with 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists, shooting 6/10 from the field (1/5 from three-point range), while Porter added 19 points.

In Toronto, VanVleet scored 26 points, Poeltl had 24 points with 10 rebounds and three assists. Barnes added 18 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.

The young Christian Braun’s role was also important for Denver, with 17 points and four rebounds. A lot will be expected of him this season as well – he was an important joker in the previous season’s championship run.

Source: Sportal Photo: Profimedia

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