Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
When Nikola Jokic secured his NBA-leading 13th triple-double late in the third quarter, it felt like just another Tuesday.
A quarter later, when the Nuggets secured their seventh win a row with a 122-113 victory over the visiting Trail Blazers, it felt like just another night at Ball Arena. The only difference about this win is that it came with assistant coach David Adelman manning the sidelines as head coach Michael Malone entered health and safety protocols earlier in the day.
“It was cold,” Adelman joked after enduring an ice bucket bath in the victorious postgame locker room. He took a hot shower before meeting with reporters.
It didn’t much matter who was calling the plays, as Denver’s scorching offense picked apart the Blazers for 32 assists.
“We do what we do,” Adelman said.
The Nuggets’ latest win marked their 14th in a row at home, where they improved to 20-3 in front of their fans.
Those fans serenaded Jokic with “MVP” chants as he put the finishing touches on his 36-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. When he checked out for the final time, the fans behind the Nuggets’ bench gave him a standing ovation.
As if the numbers weren’t gaudy enough, Jokic misfired on just one of his fourteen shots all night.
Jamal Murray rolled his eyes at Jokic’s line.
“He does it all the time,” Murray said.