Nikola Jokić took out his frustration on the Blazers
With 157 points scored, the Nuggets set the record for most points in a game this season. And since the defense was effective, that gives a A 54-point victory on Portland’s floor ! The next day backhand on the wire against the ClippersNikola Jokic had a message to deliver, and the Blazers learned their lesson.
“I don’t remember another first quarter like that from him,” a reconnu Tiago Splittercoach of Portland. “It was spectacular and he was truly outstanding. He is one of the greatest players to ever step foot on the basketball floor.”
In this first quarter, Nikola Jokic scored 19 points and gave Denver a 16-point advantage. Donovan Klingan tried, at the start of the match, to oppose him, but first of all he woke up the beast!
“To face a player like Jokic, one of the best in the world… the concentration has to be 100%”Tiago Splitter recalls. “We can’t make a mistake. You put your hand in the wrong place, you’re going to foul. If you’re not ready for rotations, we take it in doubles, blitz, but we have to be ready for the rotation gap.”
This joint that pulls him
If Nikola Jokić was so effective, it is connected to one small detail: he decided to go without a bandage on his wrist. “When I tie it, I can’t feel the wrist anymore, but I can’t feel the ball either. This didn’t work very well for me. In the end, it’s pretty much the same” he explained about this choice to remove this belt. In fact, Nikola Jokić has been brewing for six years!
“He won’t admit it, but it really bothers him.”, confie David Adelman. “I think sometimes he’s shooting to see where he’s at every night with it. But as you know, he’s getting better. And when he gets hit, he’s got to deal with it for a week or two, or however long. I think we all know that when he’s at 100%, his shooting percentages are just incredible. So if he’s having trouble finishing his free throws, it’s Nikola not being around. It’s because there’s something…”
Reduce turnovers
Upon his arrival, Nikola Jokić showed an excellent performance with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in 29 minutes. All on 10-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Proof that his wrist did not bother him too much, he loses only two balls, while in the last three matches he lost an average of 7.3!
“Nikola is still finding her rhythm”rated by David Adelman. “The five that we’re using right now are not combinations that we envisioned playing together for a long period of time. So we’re trying to figure out what works best and how to space the court properly. I think the turnovers, maybe for the team as a whole, have increased lately. And it’s given the opponent easy baskets in transition. When your defense has been uneven, that obviously doesn’t help you throughout the season.
2026-02-21 08:15:00
