The Denver offense is clearly running through The Cookie Monster - his usage rate of 29.4 is nine points ahead of Barton and more than 10 points ahead of Michael Porter Jr and Gordon. Jokic is second on the team in minutes behind Will Barton but has a significantly higher usage rate. Only five Nuggets have played more than 265 minutes despite the team being healthier than a number of other NBA squads, even with Murray’s absence.
The 26-year-old is also the Nuggets leader in free-throw attempts, rebounds, assists, and steals and is tied with Aaron Gordon for the team lead in blocks per game.ĭenver head coach Michael Malone has been rolling with a fairly tight rotation so far this year. In his stead, Jokic is leading Denver in points, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage (minus Zeke Nnaji, who has barely played more than 10 total minutes this year), and assists. At this point, there’s no timetable for Murray’s return. | AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Imagesĭenver is without lead guard Jamal Murray, who tore his ACL in April. Nikola Jokic has single-handedly kept the Nuggets afloat Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is ejected after striking Markieff Morris of the Miami Heat with a retaliatory blow during the fourth quarter of Denver’s 113-96 win. Jokic - who has been suspended for one game - is squarely in the NBA news cycle now, but he should have been all along as the Joker is off to an unprecedented start to the season. Morris turned his back, and the Denver center unleashed a vicious forearm shiver, sending the Heat forward flying to the ground and nearly igniting an all-out brawl. LA forward Markieff Morris decided he’d hip check reigning MVP Nikola Jokic on a half-court heave, something Jokic didn’t appreciate. Wednesday’s dominant victory was important for Denver.Perhaps the most entertaining occurrence to hit an NBA floor so far in the 2021-22 season came when the Denver Nuggets hosted the Miami Heat on Nov. “He’s a complete player,” Nash Mahorcic said.
#Jomic stats cracked
The soccer-like chants even extended to Jokic’s injured teammate Gary Harris, who cracked a smile from the bench, and to Jamal Murray as he shot a free throw late in the second quarter. With two minutes left before halftime, they went “ooohhh” as one of Jokic’s high-arching 3s sailed toward the basket and through the net.
When Jokic pump-faked, drove, and finished, they started chanting “Ser-bi-a!” When he was fouled on a made baseline jumper to put Denver up 39-25, they yelled “Ni-kol-a, Jo-kic!” and clapped five times in rhythm. Then, those fans consistently drowned out anybody rooting for the home team. Nash Mahorcic hollered “we have your name on your back” in Serbian, which Jokic acknowledged with a smile and a wave. Cellphones snapped photos during warm-ups. Several fans crowded the Nuggets’ tunnel before the game, just to get a glimpse of Jokic as he entered the court. “It’s his personality and his game that is attracting (to the Serbian community),” said 26-year old Milan Savic, who said he’s been following Jokic’s career since he began playing for the Serbian national team, and has attended every Nuggets game in Chicago since Jokic came to the NBA.Ĭhicago has earned the nickname “Little Serbia” because of its large population of residents of that heritage.
And Jokic put on a show for his vocal, flag-waving supporters, compiling 21 points on 9-of-11 field goals, seven rebounds and five assists as Denver rolled to a 135-102 victory to keep pace in a tight Western Conference playoff race. Marija and Nash were two of the more than 500 expected Serbian-American fans to take over the Bulls’ home arena Wednesday night. But the staffers assured them they would take the posters down to the Nuggets’ locker room to deliver to Jokic himself. When Marija and her father, Nash, arrived at the United Center, security stopped them from bringing the posters inside. “When I see him make a shot, I just get really happy.” “He’s just amazing at basketball,” said Mahorcic, who also keeps track of Jokic’s stats after every game. So the 12-year-old spent two weeks meticulously drawing and coloring two posters - one featuring Jokic’s name and hometown of Sombor, Serbia and another that read “He is not ‘The Joker.’ He is the King of the NBA.” CHICAGO - Marija Mahorcic wanted to make something special for Nikola Jokic’s recent 23rd birthday.
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