PORTLAND, Ore. — With the wrap removed from his right wrist, Nikola Jokic put a definitive end to the sloppiest three-game stretch of his career.
Jokic bullied the Blazers for 19 of his 32 points in the first quarter, and the Nuggets were never in danger Friday night in a 157-103 laugher at Moda Center.
Occasional wrist pain has nagged at him for about six years (his estimation), and it’s been flaring up recently — since before the All-Star break. His shooting hand was taped up during a 9-for-22 performance on Thursday, when the Nuggets lost to the Clippers in their first game back from the break. Evidence of the injury was gone 24 hours later in Portland.
Had it magically healed before the second game of a back-to-back? Not exactly.
“When I tape it, I don’t feel it, and I don’t feel the ball. So that didn’t work really well for me,” Jokic said. “It’s pretty much the same.”
Leaving it free to breathe was a smart decision, apparently. Jokic went for 32 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals Friday as Denver put up the highest point total in the NBA this season. Shooting 10 for 15, he was a team-best plus-40 in a modest 29 minutes of work, as the Nuggets (36-21) were able to give him the fourth quarter off. They play again Sunday afternoon at Golden State, barely 36 hours after finishing their back-to-back in Los Angeles and Portland.
Before opening tip Friday, Nuggets coach David Adelman emphasized the impact of the wrist injury on Jokic’s performance in Los Angeles.
“I mean, he won’t admit it, but it’s bothering him,” Adelman said. “It really is. I think he’s shooting the ball sometimes to see where he’s at with it nightly. But as you know, it improves. And when he gets hit, he has to deal with it for a week or two weeks or whatever it is. I think we all know when he’s right, his splits, his shooting splits are absolutely unbelievable. So if he’s having problems making shots around the rim or free throws or whatever it might be, it’s not because it’s Nikola struggling. He’s going through something. So he’ll be fine. He’ll get through it.”
Adelman’s prediction was accurate. When Jokic was asked about playing through the pain, he responded with his tongue planted in cheek.
“I’m not going to say I’m playing through pain,” he said. “Especially on camera.”
Perhaps most importantly, Jokic committed only two turnovers in the blowout. He was responsible for 22 in his last three games — the most in any three-game stretch of his career. Denver went 3-5 in his first eight games back from a bruised knee.
“He’s still trying to find a rhythm,” Adelman said. “The lineups we’re playing right now are not lineups that we ever thought would probably play together extensively. So we’re trying to figure out what’s best and how to space the court correctly. … I think the turnovers for maybe the team overall have gone up as of late. And that’s led to easy baskets the other way. And when your defense has been up and down all season, that’s not going to help you, obviously.”
The Nuggets benefitted from seven double-digit scoring contributions. They reached triple digits as a team with 7:22 left in the third quarter. They led 41-27 by the end of the first frame; 82-53 by halftime. Their 12 steals were their second-highest tally of the season. They scored 54 in the paint and knocked down 21 shots beyond the arc.
Jamal Murray caught fire in the second quarter en route to 25 points, six boards and six assists. He was listed as questionable before the game with right hamstring tightness. The Nuggets had a pregame meeting anticipating that they might play the back-to-back without him.
“If he feels anything, he’s not gonna play,” Adelman said. “We played a 7:30 (Pacific time) game last night. We play 7 tonight. We play 12:30 on Sunday. It makes absolutely no sense for me to put him in a torture chamber and then be surprised if he gets hurt.”
