The Denver Nuggets had those who follow the team closely convinced that the return of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic was still at least a week or even more away. That would have meant missing enough games to become ineligible for the fourth MVP and any sort of All-NBA postseason honors.
Then there was an about face.
Whether it was scripted out or not, Jokic instead made his return after a 16-game absence an emotional and impressive one on of all nights, “Serbian Heritage Night” at Ball Arena. He led the Nuggets to a 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, ending the eight-game winning streak of the NBA’s hottest team.
Joker smiled after the game that he hadn’t planned on coming back for this particular game, which featured several promotions for his native country. Still, he was “glad to be around my people.”
And his people – and teammates – were glad to have him back, too.
Joker Comes Back Hot After an Extended Absence
Even while on a minutes restriction as he came back from a hyper-extended knee that caused a bone bruise, Joker put up 31 points, grabbed 12 rebound and dished out five assists. He remains one “triple double” away from tying the great Oscar Robertson on the all-time triple double list at 181 games.
Coming off a win over Brooklyn the night before, the Nuggets needed an energy boost from their most important player, and he delivered. Even though Denver had somehow won 10 of the 16 games Jokic missed, the 13-point win over the Clippers was their biggest margin of victory since the last full game Jokic played in back on December 23rd.
Joker played 25 minutes, basically splitting time with Denver’s other center, Jonas Valančiūnas, who also remains on a minutes restriction after coming back from a strained calf muscle that happened the night after Jokic was injured. Valančiūnas had 11 points and six rebounds as the Nuggets owned the glass against LA, 43-34.
The bad news was that Aaron Gordon, one of the three remaining Denver starters who is out with an injury, was re-examined and it was determined that he will be out at least another month, if not longer, with the same hamstring injury that caused him to miss 19 games in November and December. Gordon had returned to play in 10 games before re-injuring the same hamstring in a victory in Milwaukee.
There has been no real update on the status of the other two injured Nuggets starters, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun.
Nuggets Schedule get Tougher Moving Forward
The Nuggets will now enter a difficult stretch of games with their best player once again available. It starts with a nationally televised showdown against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night in Denver before the Nuggets hit the road for three tough games at Detroit, at New York and at Chicago.
Whether he targeted “Serbian Heritage Night” for his timely return or not, The Nuggets, now 33-16 and effectively tied for second place in the Western Conference with the upstart San Antonio Spurs, know they got their big man back just in time.