Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic notched a career-high in points scored on Sunday (AEDT), but it somehow wasn’t enough to drag the Denver Nuggets over the line in a shock loss to the Washington Wizards.
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Six-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA team member Jokic scored a career-best 56 points on an uber-efficient 22-38 shooting from the field, 16 rebounds — seven offensive — and eight assists as Denver fell 122-113 to the Wizards in America’s capital.
The 29-year-old, who also shot 3-5 from three-point distance in 39 minutes of action, became the first player in NBA history to total 55+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 3+ three-pointers made in a single game.
However, the Nuggets were unable to overcome a 12-point half-time deficit against 3-18 Washington; last place in the Eastern Conference standings and in possession of the league’s worst winning percentage.
Sunday’s nine-point defeat represented back-to-back losses for the 2023 NBA champions, who fell to 11-10 this season in eighth place in the Western Conference standings.
Just one other Nuggets player — sixth man Julian Strawther — managed more than 15 points on the night, as many viewers noted the lack of help around Denver’s superstar with forward Aaron Gordon (calf) and guard Jamal Murray (hamstring) missing from the line-up.
SiriusXM radio host Justin Termine took to X post-game to voice his displeasure.
“The Nuggets organization should be ashamed of what they’ve done to the prime of Nikola Jokic,” Termine wrote.
“Hopefully they’ll start to be called out more by the national media and hopefully reporters will start asking those in charge tough questions. Shameful.”
Twenty-seven-year NBA coaching veteran George Karl also took to X to criticise Denver’s roster management around Jokic, claiming: “What the Nuggets are doing to Joker in his prime should be a violation of League rules.”
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Meanwhile, in Boston, superstar Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s incredible double-clutch reverse dunk against the reigning champion Celtics dropped jaws.
Morant drove baseline and went airborne, twisting and double-clutching to avoid the rim-defending Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White, before slamming to the admiration of those in attendance at TD Garden.
“Oh, my goodness!” exclaimed the NBC Sports Boston commentary in disbelief.
“Look at this — elevate, pump … incredible.”
Ironically, the mesmerising play came just three days after a health-conscious Morant said: “I’m not trying to dunk at all … I’m dead serious.”
The Grizzlies beat the Celtics 127-121 to improve to 16-8 on the season, sitting third in the Western Conference after consecutive wins.
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