The Nuggets have won five in a row overall and ten in a row at the Pepsi Center, however Nikola Jokic is functioning on a different, more poetic streak.
For the 2nd consecutive game, Jokic rumbled down to the courtroom at a sleek, comfortable pace before throwing down a rare dip for the 7-foot major guy.
“Mine was poetry in motion,” stated Jokic, tongue planted firmly in cheek, later falling a season-high 39 points on 29 shots against the Charlotte Hornets.
Jokic was comparing his gravity-defying dip to Torrey Craig, that also had a breakaway dunk in Saturday’s 123-110 triumph over Charlotte.
“Mine was much better,” Jokic explained. “Just because he could jump high doesn’t imply that he can dip better. ”
Thursday, Jokic stripped Sacramento guard Buddy Hield, ambled down between 2 defenders and hauled down a two-hander that captured his entire bench standing. Nuggets trainer Michael Malone found that clip motivation entering Saturday’s day matinee.
“Right when it came on, he had been the most enthusiastic man in the room,” Malone said. “He had been just like a two-year-old getting ready to watch himself dribble up and down the court and jump over the Sunday paper. ”
Jokic dunks provide low-hanging fruit for a group that has grown increasingly close as they’ve won 16 of their past 20 games. However, as mild as Jokic retains the locker room, it has become more and more evident that the Nuggets hope to not only get to the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13, but to be a danger in them as well.
Jokic’s final lineup — 39 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block in 34 minutes — hasn’t only been matched in NBA history, and that was Michael Jordan.
Jokic, who frequently says that he prefers distributing over scoring, thought that the 29 shots he took were the most heor rsquo;d ever needed in a match.
“For us to be the group that all of us would like to be, he needs to be a significant portion of this, he must be competitive,” Malone said. “I really like the fact that he took 29 shots tonight. ”
The Nuggets have unfurled their own pick-and-roll machine that is deadly from all three levels — even though it rarely contributes to a dip. Jokic hit from 3-point variety, banged from the post, was relentless on the glass and showed off his deft touch from mid-range.
“I believe that the way we utilize Nikola makes it hard because we put him into pick-and-roll, we put him in the post, we put him on the elbows, space him around, move him around and offer the other teams different looks,” Malone said.
Nothing the Hornets attempted on Saturday slowed him down.
Return of the starters
Malone stated the way Gary Harris and Paul Millsap played with Saturday showed they’re ready to re-assume their starting roles.
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Harris ended with 17 points, including 3 from the 3-point lineup, combined with six rebounds and five assists. In his third game , Harris showed a daring aggression since he attacked the hoop. His return among the key scorers permitted for a nighttime when Jamal Murray (8 points) struggled in the field.
Millsap scored 18 points and had four steals in his fourth game back since he missed eight games with a fractured big toe.
“It’s broke, but it doesn’t really bother me at all,” Millsap said. “Tape it up, and I just get out there and playwith. ”
It’s the same mentality for the surging Nuggets, that have their best basketball before them.
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