Nikola Jokic achieved yet another “Sombor double,” tallying 40 points and 13 rebounds, falling just one rebound short of a triple-double. Unfortunately for the Denver Nuggets, they were defeated by the Washington Wizards.
In the game’s dying moments, Jordan Poole secured victory for the Wizards with a three-pointer, resulting in the Nuggets’ 25th defeat of the season. This loss leaves them tied with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference, with each team holding a 43-25 record.
Following the game, Jokic acknowledged that his team is not performing up to expectations.
“We can’t allow ourselves to fall into a comfort zone thinking we’re just heading into the playoffs because we’re not playing well. Honestly, we’re fortunate to be sitting in third place. Our performance has not been good. I hope we can figure things out, but who knows,” Jokic remarked.
He stressed the need for the Nuggets to enhance their performance as the regular season winds down.
“I believe that how you perform in the regular season is indicative of how you’ll play in the playoffs. You can’t just switch it on when it matters most. We had a stretch of 10-15 games where we played well, but recently, even in our wins, the quality hasn’t been there. That level of play won’t cut it in the playoffs.”
The Nuggets suffered a defeat to the last-place team in the Eastern Conference, which has a dismal 15-51 record, as they approach the final 14 games of the season.
“This has been a trend since my arrival here. We seem to triumph over the top teams while stumbling against those with poor records. … I don’t want to accept that, but I’m trying to maintain a consistent mindset without letting highs or lows affect me,” Jokic concluded.
Currently, Nikola Jokic is vying for his fourth MVP title, averaging a triple-double with 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game.