Nikola Jokić posters Alperen Sengun with a surprise
On Friday night, the two best teams of the NBA, v Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets, tied NBA Cup action. This was an exciting match for a number of reasons, but the most memorable mano a mano of the night was the battle between the two All-NBA centers in Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun. Jokic has been one of the league’s most dominant stars over the past half-decade, while Sengun has been on the rise to become one of the best all-around centers in the league.
But this time Jokic and the Nuggets got the upper hand. Despite losing Aaron Gordon to a hamstring injury in the first few minutes of the contest, Denver cruised to a 112-109 victory, moving them to 2-1 in the NBA Cup Group Stage and 12-3 overall on the season.
During the game, Jokic even took it to Sengun and showed him that he still has a lot of ground to make up before he reaches the same level. With about 9:44 left in the third quarter, the Nuggets star put his head down and drove the ball all the way to the basket against Sengun — only to surprising dunk basketball right over the outstretched arms of two Rockets defenders while Jabari Smith Jr. was late to the contest.
NIKOLA JOKIĆ POSTER ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH ALPEREN SENGUN AND JABARIJ SMITH JR. 😤pic.twitter.com/cKBVpJb3zi
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 22, 2025
Jokic has never been known for his high-flying ways. In fact, he’s known for how brilliant he is despite how firmly his feet are on the ground. But the Nuggets star can do anything, and that’s exactly what he did during their win on Friday night.
The Nuggets come out on top in a tight battle against the Rockets
It was a very physical affair between the Nuggets and Rockets on Friday, as expected. But Denver can change shape against any opponent since they now have so much depth. The Rockets’ overall rebounding advantage on the night was just two, which is a big deal considering how they beat the opposition on the glass.
Jokić prepared another spectacular trip for himself. He had 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on the night with two steals and one block.
2025-11-22 05:47:00
