Not everyone believed Nikola Jokic ought to have won the MVP honor last season. His Denver colleagues did, and one, in fact, predicted he would repeat.
” I’ve never seen nobody play his rate. The slow Euro-step is unstoppable,” JaMychal Green claimed. “A great deal of things he does is unstoppable. He’s mosting likely to be the MVP once more.”
Jokic added much more fodder for discussion Friday night. He had 32 points, 16 rebounds and overcame 6 turnovers to lead the Nuggets past the San Antonio Spurs 102-96.
Jokic adhered to up his 27-point, 13-rebound initiative in Phoenix on Wednesday with an additional solid video game. He added seven helps as well as three steals for Denver. He was serenaded with cheers of “MVP! MVP!” when he hit a fadeaway jumper from 13 feet that offered the Nuggets a 100-93 lead.
” He’s a really amazing, interesting, different gamer,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich stated. “He’s like a 7-foot Larry Bird kind of guy. He can pass, the method he reads points– he’s unbelievable.”
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets oozes previous Jakob Poeltl of the San Antonio Spurs at Ball Arena on Oct. 22, 2021. Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 27 factors, 2 timid of
his career high, as well as Derrick White had 16 points. San Antonio has actually developed right into a set group without a standout offensive star. On Wednesday evening, Devin Vassell was the leading marker with 19 factors. On Friday, he scored simply 6 on 7 shot efforts. Against Denver, it was Johnson’s look to lead the violation.
The Nuggets do have a standout star in Jokic, whose success is an outcome of craftiness, not speed up. It’s an attribute that he says makes him much better.
” I really think because I’m slow-moving. That’s the rate that fits me as well as I’m comfortable in that pace,” he claimed. “You can see exactly how the league is going, everybody is so sports, so fast, they can jump, they can pass a person.”
When San Antonio reeled off 10 straight points to make it 83-82, the Nuggets led by 3 at halftime and 83-72 very early in the fourth. Facu Campazzo hit a layup, Jeff Green dunked and Jokic scored four points during an 8-2 Denver run.
White gave the Spurs one last possibility with a 3-pointer with 1:06 left, yet Monte Morris made a jumper that sealed the win for the Nuggets.
” I’m thrilled. We had 20 turn overs and also shot 25% from 3 as well as we still continued to compete,” Popovich claimed. “We’ve got to deal with the sphere much better and also make far better choices.”
The Spurs tracked 55-50 before racking up 9 straight to take a lead. But Jokic led a Denver rally. Over the next 8 minutes, he had 7 factors and seven rebounds, drove full court for a layup as well as discovered Campazzo for a driving layup that placed the Nuggets up by 10.
The Nuggets really did not trail once again.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Have shed 8 straight regular-season video games in Denver, dating to the 2017-18 season. San Antonio’s last win generally in Denver was available in Game 1 of the 2019 first-round playoff series. … Derrick White matured in Parker, Colorado, and played one season at the University of Colorado.
Nuggets: G Jamal Murray got a loud ovation when the whole team was presented prior to the tip. Murray, who had surgery on his left ACL in April, was shooting with the team prior to the video game. … Michael Porter Jr. racked up just 7 points as well as missed his initial 4 3-point efforts before draining one in change.
HELLO MY NAME IS …
Denver newbie guard Bones Hyland was provided the task of revving up the house crowd before the start of the video game and also made the most of it. Hyland, the 26th pick in the 2021 draft, obtained the fans opting for a quick, enthusiastic speech as well as made cheers without ever logging a minute in the video game.
. @BizzyBones11 understands how to buzz up a group! pic.twitter.com/2EZVVnJxat
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 23, 2021
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
Nuggets: Host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday evening.