Jokic (calf) has been ruled out for Thursday's contest against the Pelicans, Mike Singer of The Denver Post reports.
Jokic will miss his ninth game of the season as he's dealing with a calf injury. Since the Nuggets are on the first leg of a back-to-back and there are only seven games left in the regular season, head coach Michael Malone is choosing to play it safe with his star's health. Expect Thomas Bryant and Zeke Nnaji to see increased minutes, while Jamal Murray and Michael Porter will be relied on more for playmaking chances. Jokic's next chance to return to the court is Friday against the Suns.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Listed questionable for Thursday
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Jokic (calf) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Pelicans.
Jokic lands on the injury report for the first half of a back-to-back set. The MVP candidate has played both halves of the Nuggets' past two back-to-backs, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Denver give Jokic a night off to keep him fresh for the playoffs. If Jokic is sidelined, Zeke Nnaji and Thomas Bryant would be candidates for increased minutes, but Jamal Murray and Michael Porter would presumably be asked to handle the majority of the playmaking opportunities.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Cruises to triple-double
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Jokic provided 25 points (8-11 FG, 9-11 FT), 17 rebounds, 12 assists and two blocks in 35 minutes during Monday's 116-111 victory over Philadelphia.
Jokic dominated in Monday's victory, helping the Nuggets to a relatively easy victory. With Joel Embiid (calf) on the sideline for Philadelphia, Jokic didn't face much resistance in what was expected to be a matchup of the league's two top MVP candidates. Denver now sits 3.5 games clear at the top of the Western Conference standings, meaning that Jokic himself could be given a game or two of rest before the end of the regular season.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Leads team to victory
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Jokic finished with 31 points (10-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 10-11 FT), six rebounds, 11 assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Saturday's 129-106 victory over the Bucks.
Jokic tied Giannis Antetokounmpo with a game-high 31 points and dished out a team-high 11 assists as the Nuggets cruised past the Bucks. Joel Embiid has emerged as the betting favorite to win MVP in recent weeks, but it's certainly not due to Jokic's production dipping, as he's averaging 26.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks with 63.5/36.4/82.8 shooting splits over 11 March appearances.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Continues nightly excellence
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Jokic closed Wednesday's 118-104 victory over Washington with 31 points (12-16 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals across 34 minutes.
Against a depleted Washington roster missing Bradley Beal (knee) and Kyle Kuzma (ankle), Jokic took full advantage. He topped 30 points for the 20th time this season and snagged double-figure rebounds for the 48th time. In addition, the reigning two-time MVP got back on track from three-point range, as he had made just one triple in his previous five games. Fantasy managers also continue to benefit from Jokic's defensive production, as he now has 12 steals in the last seven games.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Another triple-double Sunday
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Jokic closed Sunday's 108-102 victory over Brooklyn with 22 points (9-12 FG, 4-4 FT), 17 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in 36 minutes.
It's the 28th triple-double of the season for the perennial MVP candidate, snapping a streak of three straight games without one. Jokic hasn't gone more than four straight games without a triple-double all season. Since the calendar flipped to March, the 28-year-old center is averaging 25.4 points, 13.2 boards, 9.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 threes over nine contests while shooting 64.1 percent from the floor.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Nears triple-double in win
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Jokic amassed 30 points (14-18 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 10 rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal in 34 minutes during Thursday's 119-100 win over Detroit.
Jokic fell one assist short of a triple-double Thursday, but he recorded a double-double after failing to reach that mark Tuesday against the Raptors. While Jokic's standing in the MVP race has decreased recently, he's scored 30-plus points in three of his last four appearances, averaging 32.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 36.5 minutes per game during that time
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Massive triple-double not enough
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Jokic ended with 35 points (14-23 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-10 FT), 20 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and two steals over 39 minutes during Sunday's 122-120 loss to Brooklyn.
The perennial MVP candidate recorded his second straight triple-double and 27th of the season, but he missed a 15-foot jumper with five seconds left in the fourth quarter that might have given the Nuggets the win. Jokic hasn't missed a beat since the All-Star break, averaging 24.2 points, 14.8 boards, 9.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 threes over the last nine games.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Triple-doubles in surprising defeat
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Jokic posted 37 points (14-24 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds, 11 assists and three steals in 38 minutes during Friday's 128-120 loss to the Spurs.
For the first time this season, the Nuggets lost despite a triple-double from Jokic. In the previous 25 instances, the Nuggets won every single time. Denver has lost two games in a row, but they obviously won't be panicking with such a comfortable lead at the top of the Western Conference. Jokic will look to get the Nuggets back on track against the Nets on Sunday.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Substandard line in blowout loss
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Jokic finished Wednesday's 117-96 loss to the Bulls with 18 points (7-16 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 1-4 FT), 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Jokic has now fallen short of a triple-double in two straight contests, but he's still averaging one for the season (24.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game) across his 58 appearances. The poor showing from the free-throw line Wednesday was uncharacteristic for Jokic, as were his five turnovers, his most since Feb. 23. Though he underdelivered for those that deployed him in DFS, Jokic has more than met expectations for those that selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in fantasy drafts. He ranks behind only Joel Embiid in nine-category, per-game fantasy value for the season, though Jokic has probably been the superior asset by virtue of playing 58 games to Embiid's 52.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Triple-doubles yet again
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Jokic had 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-6 FT), 18 rebounds, 10 assists and one block in 35 minutes during Friday's 113-97 victory over Memphis.
Jokic picked up yet another triple-double Friday, making it his 25th of the season. The Nuggets are also 25-0 in those games. The Nuggets have won seven of their past eight games and are now a full six games ahead at the top of the Western Conference. Jokic will be back in action Monday against Toronto and will be matched up with Jakob Poeltl.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Another triple-double
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Jokic accumulated 14 points (7-11 FG, 0-1 FT), 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 133-112 win over Houston.
Jokic made history Tuesday with the 100th triple-double of his career, and the star big man was dominant as Denver cruised to an easy 21-point win against a struggling Rockets team. The two-time MVP winner has been on an absolute tear lately, notching seven triple-doubles across his last 10 games and nine since Jan. 31.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Posts strong triple-double Sunday
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Jokic supplied 40 points (14-21 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 12-15 FT), 17 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals across 42 minutes during Sunday's 134-124 overtime victory over the Clippers.
Jokic was held under 20 points in two of his three appearances prior to Sunday's matchup, but he bounced back in the team's overtime win. He scored at least 40 points for the fifth time this season and now has triple-doubles in eight of his last 11 appearances. Across that span, he's averaged 23.7 points, 14.8 rebounds and 10.6 assists in 34.4 minutes per game.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Decent output in woeful loss
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Jokic produced 15 points (7-11 FG, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds and three assists across 27 minutes during Saturday's 112-94 loss to the Grizzlies.
Jokic had a rough performance -- compared to his usual standards -- but still posted a double-double while leading the offense in a game where the Nuggets struggled massively on offense. The two-time MVP winner has been outstanding this month and has recorded a double-double in all nine of his February appearances, including six triple-doubles.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Delivers another triple-double
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Jokic notched 24 points (8-13 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 18 rebounds, 13 assists and two steals in 36 minutes during Thursday's 115-109 win over the Cavaliers.
Jokic kept his MVP momentum going in the resumption of the regular season and has now posted four triple-doubles over his last six games and seven across his last 10. The back-to-back MVP winner is having another excellent season and is averaging a robust 22.5 points, 14.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists across eight February appearances.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Fifth triple-double in last seven
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Jokic ended with 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 FT), 13 rebounds, 10 assists, one block and one steal over 34 minutes during Wednesday's 118-109 win over the Mavericks.
After scoring just one point in the opening period, Jokic went 5-of-5 from the field in the second quarter before deferring to his teammates for much of the second half. While ceding more of the scoring responsibilities to Jeff Green (24 points) and Michael Porter (22 points), Jokic paced the Nuggets in rebounds and assists en route to collecting his fifth triple-double in seven games. With averages of 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game over his 51 appearances, the two-time MVP heads into the All-Star break on pace to become the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Continues elite run of production
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Jokic had 27 points (12-14 FG, 3-3 FT), 12 rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes during Monday's 112-108 victory over Miami.
Along with the rest of the NBA, the Heat had no answers for Jokic, who fell short of notching his sixth triple-double in eight games but still carve up Miami with remarkable efficiency. While averaging a triple-double on the season to go along with a career-best 70.3 true shooting percentage for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets, Jokic has a strong case for his third consecutive MVP award.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Another triple-double in win
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Jokic logged 30 points (11-22 FG, 8-9 FT), 16 rebounds, 10 assists and two blocks across 34 minutes during Saturday's 119-105 victory over the Hornets.
The Nuggets were shorthanded Saturday with both Jamal Murray (knee) and Aaron Gordon (ribs) sitting out, so Jokic took it upon himself to shoulder a greater share of the offensive burden. The two-time MVP didn't see his efficiency suffer as a result and aided the Nuggets to a sizable halftime lead, allowing him to take more of a back seat in the fourth quarter, when he didn't attempt a field goal. He ultimately finished with his 20th triple-double of the season, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to reach that benchmark.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Has strong second half
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Jokic finished Thursday's 115-104 loss to the Magic with 29 points (10-19 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-9 FT), 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal across 38 minutes.
Jokic got off to a bit of a slow start Thursday, knocking down just one of five shot attempts in the first quarter, though he still entered the break on pace for yet another triple-double with seven points, seven boards and five assists. The reigning MVP was much more efficient in the second half, going 7-of-11 from the field for 22 points while adding five rebounds and two assists as the Nuggets suffered an upset loss in Orlando. Jokic has now recorded double-digit rebounds in five straight games, though he did see his streak of four consecutive triple-doubles come to an end Thursday.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Rolls to efficient triple-double
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Jokic finished Tuesday's 146-112 win over the Timberwolves with 20 points (8-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 16 assists, 12 rebounds, one steal and one block in 28 minutes.
The two-time MVP and the Nuggets made quick work of the Timberwolves, so much so that no Denver starter exceeded 29 minutes while the team took a 35-point lead into the final quarter. Despite the light workload, Jokic proved to be unstoppable as a scorer and playmaker during his time on the floor, as he became the third player in NBA history to post a triple-double in 28 or fewer minutes. The bar is awfully high for voters to honor a player with a third consecutive MVP, but Jokic's nightly excellence for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets has made him the favorite to claim the award at this stage of the season.
