By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
LeBron James becoming the first player to reach 40,000 points in the NBA Regular Season was partially overshadowed by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
The Joker congratulated the four-time NBA champion on his achievement after the contest but did not display a similar mood in a postgame interview.
“We did not play very good in the first half, they were getting in the paint and having open looks. We were a little better in the second half. We scored 124 points, which is a lot,” he described the improved effort after the break to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, “I am just glad that we won a game.”
“We just wanted to take the life out of this arena,” teammate Jamal Murray referred to celebration mode across Crypto.com Arena on NBA Saturdays.
Jokic registered 35 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists in the away win. The Canadian combo guard posted a 24-point, 11-assist double-double.
“I think I just like how we are playing the game right now,” the two-time season MVP and 2023 Finals MVP from Serbia commented on the sixth straight win in the 2023-24 Regular Season and eighth in a row in the head-to-head versus the Lakers.
Jumping to 42-19, the defending NBA champions are half a game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and the top of the Western Conference standings. At 6-0 following the All-Star break, they return home to face the Phoenix Suns in Ball Arena on Tuesday.
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