The Denver Nuggets avenged their Sunday loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The two teams had a rematch and Nikola Jokic led the team to a 140-127 victory with a historic stat line. Jokic ended the game with 35 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block. The Serbian big man did everything to make sure the Nuggets didn’t allow the Thunder to end their regular-season series in their favor.
Stathead claims that the big man for the Nuggets is the first player to record such a stat line. The big man from Serbia had a productive shooting night. He made 15 of his 20 shots from the field, including one of two from beyond the arc.
Jokic wasn’t the only player who recorded at least 30 points. Star point guard Jamal Murray was a problem for the Thunder’s defense with his 34 points, four rebounds and six assists. Murray shot 42.9% of his attempts from the 3-point area.
With his performance, the MVP race between himself and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become more competitive. After the game, Jokic revealed his thoughts on the right race for the prestigious award.
“This is my third or fourth year in a row so…I’m really…I can’t control it…I will say I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life so if that’s enough it’s enough. If not, the guy deserves it. He’s really amazing,” Jokic said.
In the most recent update for the MVP voting, SGA is at the top, while Jokic trails at the second spot. Since the start of the season, the two stars have switched the top two spots.
A former NBA player says the Denver Nuggets should retire Jokic’s No. 15 twice
Jokic is having one of the most iconic seasons in the league. He’s left a lasting impression among fans, his peers and critics for how he’s played and led the Denver Nuggets. This season, he’s averaging 28.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.5 assists. For the first time in his career, the three-time MVP is averaging a triple-double.
With how he’s performed, former NBA player Marcus Camby believes the Nuggets organization should retire Jokic’s No. 15 jersey. Not once, but twice. However, he doesn’t think the number should only represent the Serbian center and said Denver should also honor Carmelo Anthony.
“Without doubt, the Nuggets will have to hang No. 15 twice, for Carmelo and Joker,” Camby said.
Before Jokic, Anthony wore No. 15 for the Nuggets for eight seasons. The small forward emerged as one of the top stars of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
With Denver, Anthony was a four-time All-Star and led the franchise to multiple postseason appearances.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
