The Nuggets did the unthinkable and squandered a historic night for Nikola Jokic, after losing 122-113 to the Wizards – who hadn’t won in 16 games before then.
Jokic was doing absolutely everything he could to prevent the loss, after posting 56 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and one steal on 60 percent from three-point range, but his teammates let him down.
Only three of Jokic’s teammates managed to score in double digits and all Denver players bar Jokic combined to shoot 24-56 with ten turnovers.
After the game, Jokic was asked what the he needs to see from the Nuggets the next few games.
“A reaction. In my country, where I’m coming from, after this kind of stretch you’re gonna get a paycheck that is a little bit less than you are worth. So maybe that’s what we need to do. Maybe a little motivation that way.” (via Bennett Durando)
The Serbian superstar also suggested another potential wake-up call for his team.
“What’s the name of it? Being benched? Being on the bench, I think that’s really good motivation, too,” he said.
In the team’s defense, there wasn’t too many solid options to turn to on offense, because Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) were both out.
The 2023 champions are now 9th seed in the west, with a .524 win percentage and an 11-10 record, a far cry from seasons before when they were consistently top three in the West for majority of the season.
“I’m doing a really poor job with this team. For us to be 11-10 at this point, and losing to a team that (in) the last five games is averaging 100 points a game — they put up 122 on us — I’m embarrassed by that,” Denver head coach Michael Malone said after the game.
“We have film sessions where you hold guys accountable, you address the issues, and they keep being repeated. That’s where I take blame for (being) 11-10; I’ve done a poor job as a coach preparing this team to win and go out there and execute. I have no problem owning that.”
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