By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After scoring a career-high 56 points in a losing effort on NBA Saturdays, Nikola Jokic completed a back-to-back with 48 points in a winning effort for the Denver Nuggets on NBA Sundays.
Wrapping up a three-game road trip across four days, the Nuggets defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 141-111, in State Farm Arena on Sunday.
Over 35 minutes in Atlanta, the Serbian superstar extended red-hot showings into 17/29 field goals, including three triples. Required for 35 minutes, he added 14 rebounds to shape his 15th double-double of the 2024-25 Regular Season, dished out eight assists, and with three steals ranked third overall on the franchise’s all-time list.
“I think it was the first in a long time we held a team under 120 points,” he reacted to his side bouncing back on the win column while looking at the scoreboard during a postgame interview, “We played good. We scored a lot of points, of course. The energy was better.”
🇷🇸🔥 What can’t this man do?
pic.twitter.com/ErtleLJ5Ky— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) December 9, 2024
“Most of the time, it doesn’t go in. Sometimes it goes,” the Joker talked about sinking a halfcourt buzzer beater at the end of the second quarter.
European teammates, Slovenian Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery) and Croatian Dario Saric (left ankle sprain) were on the injury list for the team coached by Michael Malone.
Serbian international teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic (left quad contusion) was sidelined by the Hawks.
Serbian connection 🫂🇷🇸
🔥 Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic catching up before the game between the Nuggets and the Hawks. pic.twitter.com/9D5nrGxut0
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) December 8, 2024
Starting for the team guided by Quin Snyder, French Zaccharie Risacher paired ten points with four rebounds and Swiss Clint Capela had nine points and ten rebounds. Coming off the bench, Czech Vit Krejci logged three points and three rebounds.