Nikola Jokić vodio je Denver možda i jedne od odlučujućih utakmica ove sezone, koja bi Nagetsima mogla mnogo da znači u plej-ofu, a njemu lično u borbi uza MVP trofej, ako se on za to uopšte ikada i borioNikola Jokić led Denver in perhaps one of the decisive games of this season, which could mean a lot to the Nuggets in the playoffs, and to him personally in the fight for the MVP trophy, if he ever fought for it at all.
The Thunder were defeated in the middle of Oklahoma, convincingly, with 140-127, and along the way, they were made aware that the home-court advantage, which they will surely have in the playoffs, does not have to mean anything.
Jokić seasoned all this with 35 points (15-20 from the field), 18 rebounds, and eight assists, and Jamal Murray finally woke up, scoring 34 points, but he still hogged the ball and played solo in some situations, which Malone will have to eradicate if he wants to fight for the “double crown” with this team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the leading scorer in the NBA and Jokić’s fiercest candidate for MVP, finished the game with 25 points. A day earlier, he scored 40 in a victory against the same rival.
Lu Dort scored 26 points and eight three-pointers, and Isaiah Hartenstein scored 20. The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for the Thunder, who have the best record in the Western Conference and are competing with Cleveland for the best record in the league.
The season series ends in a 2:2 draw.
The Thunder led 73-67 at halftime with 16 points from Hartenstein and 15 from Gilgeous-Alexander. But then All-Star Jalen Williams left the game in the second quarter with a hip injury and did not return, which disrupted the hosts.
Denver took advantage and took a 101-99 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Nuggets dominated the fourth quarter, similar to the Thunder the previous day. Murray hit a three-pointer and Denver took a 109-101 lead with just over 10 minutes to go, and the Nuggets went on.
Denver showed their strength, and Oklahoma was not nearly as fluid in the second half without Williams. Obviously, he is a key player for this team.
Russell Westbrook and Peyton Watson led the Nuggets to a 125-111 lead with just under seven minutes to go with consecutive three-pointers, and that was somewhere near the end of the uncertainty.
The Nuggets, who are back to 2nd in the West, visit Minnesota on Wednesday, and the Thunder go to Boston.
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Author: Serbian Times Photo: AP Photo/Nate Billings