Nikola Jokic had high praise for his teammates after a gutsy 128-125 win over the Houston Rockets in overtime on Monday.
The Denver Nuggets entered Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets in one of the most interesting predicaments they may be in all season long. The Nuggets have been red-hot on the road, winning 12 games in a row away from Ball Arena, including four in the last nine days on their most recent road trip.
However, that success on the road simply hadn’t been translating to success at home in recent weeks. The Nuggets had lost their last four home games leading into Monday, but because they were sandwiched between a handful of impressive road wins, they were somewhat deservedly brushed under the rug.
With the stacked Houston Rockets in town on Monday, it was certainly no given that the Nuggets were going to parlay their recent fortune on the road into a timely win in front of the home crowd. The game played out as competitively as expected, with the Nuggets earning a hard-fought 128-125 win in overtime on the back of yet another eye-popping Nikola Jokic game.
“It’s just a different style of basketball,” Jokic said. “They are physical, but they're talented too. They have a lot of talented guys who can do a lot of different things on the court, so it's a definite challenge. I think that's in those situations, in special games, you need to do something special to win the game.”
The Real Mr. Triple Double
Jokic tallied his 12th triple-double of the season to lead the Nuggets to the overtime triumph, tallying 39 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Jokic made 13-of-27 attempts from the field overall, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. The Nuggets also got 35 points from a red-hot Jamal Murray, who made 9-of-17 attempts from the field and 14-of-15 attempts from the line.
“I think we did a good job,” Jokic said. “We didn't turn the ball over, we got shots at the rim. I think defensively we were good, especially that last possession. I think I think we did a decent job.”
Now that Monday’s win officially ended the Nuggets’ strange home skid, the team has won five games in a row straight up and six of their last seven. Not to mention, three of the Nuggets' six losses came within a single eight-day span between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1.
The Nuggets will look to continue their hot streak against the Orlando Magic, who are coming to Denver on Thursday fresh off their semifinal elimination at the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.