The game was much more closely contested than the result indicates. The Suns actually entered the final period with a three-point lead but ended up falling apart when it mattered the most, being unable to find an answer for the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic delivered a huge performance for the Nuggets, finishing the night with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. And Denver needed all of it, considering that his teammates struggled to get going and only three had double digits in scoring.

“Man, no hesitation from him,” said Jamal Murray, who was 3-of-15 from the floor and missed all of his nine three-point attempts. “Just dominating down low and from 3, both ways. Staying aggressive all game, uplifting us during timeouts, just full belief in us the whole time while he’s taking over and picking up everybody’s slack.”

With two wins on their home court, the Nuggets now seem like they are in control of the series. The Suns showed the same growing pains that hampered them in the first round against the LA Clippers and will have to dig deep in order to turn things around. 

The series resumes on Friday with Game 3 in Phoenix’s Footprint Center.

The post Nuggets Beat the Suns 97-87 in Game 2 of the West Semi-Finals, Take a 2-0 Lead appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Originally listed as doubtful, Jokic was omitted from the Nuggets’ lineup just an hour before tipoff. This comes after Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated during a pregame news conference that, “if there was any doubt, we will err on the side of caution with seven games left.”

Jokic’s absence from the team is a cause for concern for the Nuggets. Having gone 51-25 for the season, Denver is 3-6 without Jokic on the team.

The Nuggets will be hopeful for a quick recovery for Jokic as they gear up for three road games against Houston, Phoenix, and Utah respectively before returning home to wrap up the season in back-to-back games against the Sacramento Kings.

The post Nikola Jokic Sidelined In Nuggets Loss To Pelicans appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Having blown a crucial lead in Game 2, the Nuggets clearly learned from their past mistakes and dominated proceedings for the majority of last night’s game. While the Lakers looked as if they were to pull off another comeback in the fourth quarter by scoring 31 points, the Nuggets had enough fuel left in the tank to fend off their attack.

Jamal Murray proved indispensable for the Nuggets, scoring 28 points, making 12 assists, and racking up eight rebounds. This included a three-pointer from distance to cap off his solid performance.

Nikola Jokic had yet another strong game for the Nuggets, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while Jerami Grant provided a huge offensive performance to score a career-high 26 points.

The Nuggets and Lakers next face off in Game 4 of the series, taking place on Friday the 25th of September at the AdventHealth Arena at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The post Nuggets Claw Their Way Back in Game 3 of Western Conference Final appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jokic reportedly arrived in Orlando over the weekend but spent several days in quarantine.

Jokic tested positive for coronavirus in June while spending time in his homeland Serbia, and couldn’t be on Denver’s initial flight to Orlando. In order to take part in the 2019/20 season resume, the 25-year-old player needed to produce a couple of negative tests and clear several other requirements.

“It was great to see him,” said Nuggets’ head coach Mike Malone on Tuesday. “He’s in great spirits. I think I can speak for everybody on our staff and our roster. Having him around is just very uplifting. Nikola is a big part of what we’re trying to do. Having him here finally is great, obviously. It was wonderful to see him walk through those doors.”

Nikola Jokic emerged as a leader for Denver Nuggets and their best player in the past couple of seasons. He earned his second consecutive All-Star nod this season while averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.

With Jokic back, Nuggets now hope they can do some serious damage in the loaded West. They are currently sitting third on the standing with 43-22 record and are heading towards the First-Round matchup against Houston Rockets.

The post All-Star Center Nikola Jokic Re-Joins Nuggets For NBA Restart appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The game was much more closely contested than the result indicates. The Suns actually entered the final period with a three-point lead but ended up falling apart when it mattered the most, being unable to find an answer for the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic delivered a huge performance for the Nuggets, finishing the night with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. And Denver needed all of it, considering that his teammates struggled to get going and only three had double digits in scoring.

“Man, no hesitation from him,” said Jamal Murray, who was 3-of-15 from the floor and missed all of his nine three-point attempts. “Just dominating down low and from 3, both ways. Staying aggressive all game, uplifting us during timeouts, just full belief in us the whole time while he’s taking over and picking up everybody’s slack.”

With two wins on their home court, the Nuggets now seem like they are in control of the series. The Suns showed the same growing pains that hampered them in the first round against the LA Clippers and will have to dig deep in order to turn things around. 

The series resumes on Friday with Game 3 in Phoenix’s Footprint Center.

The post Nuggets Beat the Suns 97-87 in Game 2 of the West Semi-Finals, Take a 2-0 Lead appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Originally listed as doubtful, Jokic was omitted from the Nuggets’ lineup just an hour before tipoff. This comes after Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated during a pregame news conference that, “if there was any doubt, we will err on the side of caution with seven games left.”

Jokic’s absence from the team is a cause for concern for the Nuggets. Having gone 51-25 for the season, Denver is 3-6 without Jokic on the team.

The Nuggets will be hopeful for a quick recovery for Jokic as they gear up for three road games against Houston, Phoenix, and Utah respectively before returning home to wrap up the season in back-to-back games against the Sacramento Kings.

The post Nikola Jokic Sidelined In Nuggets Loss To Pelicans appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Having blown a crucial lead in Game 2, the Nuggets clearly learned from their past mistakes and dominated proceedings for the majority of last night’s game. While the Lakers looked as if they were to pull off another comeback in the fourth quarter by scoring 31 points, the Nuggets had enough fuel left in the tank to fend off their attack.

Jamal Murray proved indispensable for the Nuggets, scoring 28 points, making 12 assists, and racking up eight rebounds. This included a three-pointer from distance to cap off his solid performance.

Nikola Jokic had yet another strong game for the Nuggets, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while Jerami Grant provided a huge offensive performance to score a career-high 26 points.

The Nuggets and Lakers next face off in Game 4 of the series, taking place on Friday the 25th of September at the AdventHealth Arena at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The post Nuggets Claw Their Way Back in Game 3 of Western Conference Final appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jokic reportedly arrived in Orlando over the weekend but spent several days in quarantine.

Jokic tested positive for coronavirus in June while spending time in his homeland Serbia, and couldn’t be on Denver’s initial flight to Orlando. In order to take part in the 2019/20 season resume, the 25-year-old player needed to produce a couple of negative tests and clear several other requirements.

“It was great to see him,” said Nuggets’ head coach Mike Malone on Tuesday. “He’s in great spirits. I think I can speak for everybody on our staff and our roster. Having him around is just very uplifting. Nikola is a big part of what we’re trying to do. Having him here finally is great, obviously. It was wonderful to see him walk through those doors.”

Nikola Jokic emerged as a leader for Denver Nuggets and their best player in the past couple of seasons. He earned his second consecutive All-Star nod this season while averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.

With Jokic back, Nuggets now hope they can do some serious damage in the loaded West. They are currently sitting third on the standing with 43-22 record and are heading towards the First-Round matchup against Houston Rockets.

The post All-Star Center Nikola Jokic Re-Joins Nuggets For NBA Restart appeared first on yoursportspot.com.