Jokic dominates late, carries Nuggets over finish line against Bulls
Mar 2, 2021, 7:09 AM
At one point in Monday’s eventual win over the Chicago Bulls, the Nuggets held a 15-point lead. As the fourth quarter began, the 21-5 tidal wave that threatened to swamp the Nuggets finally crested, and Nikola Jokic had seen enough.
“We were sloppy, I think,” Jokic explained after the game. “I just wanted to be aggressive, change the rhythm. I think I did.”
Jokic’s 17 points — including 10 in just over three minutes — eventually wore the Bulls down, and the Nuggets won the foul- and free-throw battle late to claim a 118-112 victory.
“Him welcoming that fourth-quarter responsibility to close a team out speaks to his greatness,” coach Michael Malone said, clearly impressed at what has become almost routine this season. Jokic scored 39 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and narrowly missed his 50th career triple-double by only a single assist.
So dominant was Jokic that teammate Jamal Murray had a little fun at Bulls star Zach LaVine’s expense.
“I was trying to tell them. I was trying to tell Zach, ‘You need some help, you need some help.’ He said, ‘I’m not leaving you, Jamal.”
Murray, by the way, had 24 points of his own; many of those also at LaVine’s expense.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 points and collected 15 rebounds to lead the team, but it was once again Jokic who made the difference between victory and defeat; something not lost on Malone.
“That’s the luxury of having an MVP candidate,” the head coach said.
***
TEAM NOTES
• The Nuggets’ accelerated acclimation of Michael Porter Jr. continues apace. Porter Jr., Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic combined for 80 of the Nuggets’ points (68 percent), 31 of their 50 rebounds (62 percent) and 13 of their 22 assists (59 percent) while shooting a combined 32-for-52 (62 percent). Porter Jr. seems to be fitting in better every game, but as a power forward; something that will have to be figured out when nominal starter Paul Millsap and backup JaMychal Green return from injury.
• Three Nuggets — Facundo Campazzo and rookies R.J. Hampton and Markus Howard — all missed Monday’s game after being placed in the NBA’s COVID-19 health protocol. None of the three are expected to return prior to the All-Star break, leaving the Nuggets woefully shorthanded in their final pair of games before the break.
• The Nuggets visit the Bucks on Tuesday, their second game of a back-to-back. They’ve gone 2-2 in the same situations earlier this season.
***
PLAYER NOTES
• Jamal Murray scored 24 points on Monday to extend his streak of 20-plus point games to 10. He’s averaging 29.5 points during that span.
• Nikola Jokic has shot 50 percent or better in 15 of the Nuggets’ last 18 games.
• Vlatko Cancar played 20 minutes on Monday, the Nuggets’ leader off the bench. He scored eight points and had four rebounds, but his -16 was Denver’s worst of the night; more than three times worse than rookie Zeke Nnaji’s -5.
• P.J. Dozier was one of only three guards active on Monday, and the only one available off the bench. He scored five points with two rebounds in 18 minutes.
***
THE FINAL WORD
“We just kept running the same play, honestly. I ain’t going to lie to you. We ran the same play over and over. And he was just scoring every time. There was no need to change anything.” — Jamal Murray, on Nikola Jokic’s 17-point fourth quarter during Monday’s win
***
INJURY WATCH
• R.J. Hampton (COVID-19 protocol) missed the March 1 game and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Facundo Campazzo (COVID-19 protocol) missed the March 1 game and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Markus Howard (COVID-19 protocol) missed the March 1 game and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Gary Harris (left adductor strain) sat out the Feb. 21 game and is expected to miss more time.
• JaMychal Green (left shoulder sprain/contusion) being injured on Feb. 19. He is considered day-to-day.
• Paul Millsap (left knee sprain) didn’t return after halftime on Feb. 14. He is day-to-day.
***
ROTATION (MINUTES)
Starters:
G Jamal Murray (36)
G Monte Morris (34)
F-G Will Barton (36)
F Michael Porter Jr. (35)
C Nikola Jokic (38)
Bench:
F Vlatko Cancar (20)
G-F P.J. Dozier (18)
F Zeke Nnaji (13)
C-F Isaiah Hartenstein (9)
C-F Bol Bol (DNP-CD)
F Greg Whittington (DNP-CD)
