Nikola Jokic lofted another pass and with it came his seventh triple-double of the season.
Jokic’s final help led to a transition dip from Malik Beasley, along with the Nuggets cruised into a resounding 126-110 win. The Nuggets improved entire while underscoring their home dominance; Denver is currently 22-4 at the Pepsi Center.
Fresh off his one-game suspension that is controversial, Jokic had been the conductor. He paced the Nuggets with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his 23rd career triple-double, which moves him into a tie for 16th place in NBA history.
Guard Ben Simmons had 19 points and 12 rebounds but was only 6 to 17 in the field.
The Nuggets finally tightened the screws from the third quarter. Jokic, playing the whole pound, had eight points, five rebounds and five assists while the Nuggets carried out an 11-point lead. Jokic slingshotted a pass and struck a Torrey Craig for a simple dunk midway through the quarter to bolster the guide.
The 76ers were at a disadvantage overlooking all-stars Joel Embiid along with Jimmy Butler due to accidents. In part, explained Denver’s dominance in the paint. The Nuggets rode Jokic and Mason Plumlee (17 points) into a 74-40 edge down low.
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Saturday’s back (after Friday’s win over Phoenix) was supposed to be the reintroduction of the Nuggets’ first starting lineup. But Jamal Murray sat out with a sprained left shoulder he sustained against the Suns — just the second game rsquo & he;s missed in his career.
Monday at Memphis are the Nuggets’ following opportunity to reach that landmark although Michael Malone is confident he already knows what he’ll gain from that outfit.
“It’s kind of strange,” Malone explained. “For me personally, and this might sound weird, I don’t should see them perform. I know exactly what we&rsquo of. I’t coached these guys, I’ve ever seen them. I saw what we managed to do at the season’s close. … We’ll arrive. We have a lot of basketball . ”
But awarded Murray’s disease and the simple fact that Gary Harris showed a noticeable limp in the third quarter after returning from harm himself, it’s possible their unlucky streak, dating back to the second game of the year, continues.
For the second night in a row, even there was a sterling offensive operation mitigated through an uninspiring one that was defensive. The Nuggets held a 77-68 lead after two quarters, but the 76ers had four guys in double figures and forced countless breakdowns either with backdoor cuts or bad closeouts. Jokic’s first-half double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) helped overshadow the miscues even as Malone stewed about the sidelines.
76ers trainer Brett Brown offered a comprehensive analysis of those Nuggets before Saturday’s tip-off. He praised their acumen, lauded their unselfish departure and Wondering exactly what to do with Jokic.
“What’s exactly the game plan? ” Brown explained. “Who will be the matchups? Are you going to cope with him as sort of a point-center bringing the ball up the ground? ”
Brown said he saw similarities from the trajectories of both franchises.
“I admire what they have assembled from afar,” Brown explained, imagining the work of Denver’s front office. “I think even the competitive draft that they had last year with that risky type of selection (of Michael Porter Jr.) that, had he been healthy, is probably heading in the top three, even for example. You then have a take a look at the youth and the equilibrium and also their shooters. Jokic has sort of come from left field to become greater than any of us expected. Theyrsquo;t done a really good job of growing their program. ”
Jokic played motivated a quarter because he has all season. He poured in 17 points on 12 shots while no Nuggets player took more than five efforts. Every Philadelphia defender that attempted to slow him — Simmons, Mike Muscala or Corey Brewer — has been helpless against his competitive moves. He grabbed seven rebounds and hit two 3-pointers for good actions, but the Nuggets’ defense was shaky enough not to create any separation.
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