If you want to know why Nikola Jokic is a real plus-minus god, start with the fact that he is a regular plus-minus god. Tonight Jokic finished as a +2 in over 36 minutes in a game in which the Nuggets lost by 10 points. It was the second time Jokic has finished in the positive in a double-digit Nuggets loss his season with a few other games where Jokic finished as a -1 or -2 in blowout losses.
In short, when he’s on the court the Nuggets are usually doing pretty well. That was the case tonight as Jokic scored early, then dished out some assists, then finished the game with a bunch of high-level playmaking. He hand a dream shake on Draymond Green in the second half that would make Hakeem Olajuwon proud. He threw a handful of passes that would make Magic Johnson proud. He had the full arsenal going tonight including a three-pointer.
The Nuggets still fell short to the best team in basketball (and perhaps of all time), but games like this one can offer a bit of solace knowing that they fought hard and their star player appears to be getting back into form. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said it best: “It was great to see Nikola Jokic be Nikola Jokic tonight.”
Check out the highlights below.
Order our new “Gary’s Army” tee, an original design from D Line Co. They’re just $25 and sure to be the coolest and most comfortable shirt you’ll own!
