For the past few weeks we have all witnessed the rise of the Nikola Jokic as he has taken the league by storm and helped solidify the Nuggets in the eighth playoff spot, tonight making DeAndre Jordan and the Los Angeles Clippers his latest victim.
Jokic’s stat line tonight seems quite pedestrian compared to the ridiculous numbers he has put up in days’ past – 19 points, 10 rebounds and just three assists – but his impact on this game was far more than what can be found on the box score. With Los Angeles missing Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clippers’ only real shot at this game was through Jordan. Jokic was more than up to the task, getting under the big man’s skin throughout the night as he drove by him for layups, drained a three-pointer right in his face and battled in the paint, culminating in a third quarter karate-chop/technical that would bench Jordan for good as the Nuggets cruised to the win.
While many (myself included) hoped for another high scoring night from the Joker, he still controlled the game flow when on the floor and shot an efficient 8-11 from the field. Plus, the Nuggets won big at home and are finally giving casual fans a reason to tune back into mile high basketball. Check out his highlights below!
