Nikola Jokic made a dominant return from injury, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 127-117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Head coach Michael Malone was thrilled with Jokic’s performance, calling him "outstanding" and joking that he should "hold him out 10 days more often."
The Denver Nuggets picked up a crucial 127-117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, but the biggest story was Nikola Jokic’s incredible return to the court.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic
MIN: 36.53
PTS: 29.29 (63.1%)
REB: 12.79
As: 10.27
ST: 1.75
BL: 0.68
TO: 3.27
GM: 63
After missing time due to injury, the two-time MVP wasted no time making his presence felt, dropping 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on a scorching 16-25 shooting night.
Head coach Michael Malone couldn’t help but praise Jokic’s performance, especially after witnessing a highlight-reel dunk.
"Well, he had one move in the first half where I said, he faked it, kept it, went down the lane and threw it down two hands,” Malone said, via Rachel Strand. "And that, I was like, ‘Wow. I should hold him out 10 days more often,' because he was outstanding.
"And that's the thing, and you guys all know this, I mean he was banged up, those games that he missed were not rust games. Those games were missed because of his inability to go out there and play at the level he's capable of playing. But I did see a guy that looked rested, looked explosive, and looked as efficient and dominating as ever," the coach added.
With the win, Denver improved to 46-28, holding the third seed in the Western Conference.
With just eight games left in the regular season, the Nuggets will play their next game against the Utah Jazz on Friday, which will be the last game for the team in March.
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