In a jaw-dropping thriller on Monday, the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, put on a remarkable comeback victory against the Toronto Raptors, where the two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, put up a remarkable performance.
Despite leading throughout the third quarter, the Raptors ended up losing the matchup to the Nuggets as Jokic pushed his team to erase a double-digit deficit with an unforgettable performance, putting up monster numbers on the board and making history.
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Nikola Jokic inspires Nuggets to comeback victory
The Raptors started hot, outscoring the Nuggets 34-19 in the second quarter and taking a 22-point lead before halftime. With a desperate need for a ‘wake-up’ call, Jokic orchestrated a comeback, scoring 19 out of his 35 points in the third quarter, motivating his teammates to put on a scoring run for the team.
“In the first half they scored a lot and we didn’t play any defence,” said Jokic. “We just needed to match and exceed their physicality and that’s how we turned the game to our advantage. We were just fighting. The whole crew showed their character today. We’re not quitters.”
The Nuggets outscored the Raptors 42-30 in the third quarter, where Jokic led the charge both offensively and defensively. Jamal Murray also contributed with a double-double, scoring 26 points and 12 assists, while Jokic ended the game with his 21st triple-double of the season, scoring 35 points, 12 assists, and 17 rebounds.
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The Nugget’s defence in the second half was a major contribution to the comeback victory led by the Joker himself, who put up 6 steals and 2 blocks by the end of the regulations.
Jokic creates NBA history vs Raptors
This is a huge week for the NBA franchise and fans, as we got to witness history in the making two nights in a row. On Sunday, Anthony Davis put up a monster performance with a stat line never seen before, and Jokic added his name to the history books with a new stat line on Monday.
With 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks, Jokic made history, as this stat line has never been seen before. Jokic also joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George McGinnis, and Terry Cummings as the only players to record 35 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and 5 steals in a single game.
Four players out from the Nuggets scored in double digits, including Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., both scoring 19 points for the Nuggets win. The defending champions seem to be in rhythm, and with a performance like this in the postseason, they can go back-to-back in the finals.
