Nikola Jokic vents to teammates after historic night ends in embarrassing loss
The Nuggets did the unthinkable, wasting a historic night for Nikola Jokic after losing 122-113 to the Wizards – who had gone 16 games without a win.
Jokic scored 56 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal while shooting 60% from three-point range, trying his best to avoid a loss, but his teammates let him down.
Only three of Jokic’s teammates scored in double figures. Except for Jokic, all Denver Nuggets players combined for a 24-56 score and 10 turnovers.
After the game, Jokic was asked what he hopes to see from the Nuggets in the next few games.
“A reaction. In the country I come from, after a period like this, you get paid a little less than you’re worth. So maybe that’s what we need to do. Maybe there’s a little motivation. (via Bene Te Durando)
The Serbian superstar also raised another potential wake-up call for his team.
“What’s it called? Being benched? Being on the bench, I think that’s good motivation as well,” he said.
The team’s defense doesn’t have many reliable options on offense as Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) are both out.
The 2023 champions currently sit as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with a .524 winning percentage and 11-10 record, a far cry from previous seasons when they were firmly in the top three in the Western Conference for much of the season.
“I’m having a really bad time with this team. We’re 11-10 and we lost to a team that averaged 100 points the last five games — they gave us 122 points — and I Embarrassing about it,” Denver head coach Michael Malone said after the game.
“We have film sessions, hold people accountable, solve problems, and then those problems keep repeating. That’s where I got blamed for 11-10; as a coach, I’m in a position to help this team win, go out there and execute. Very poorly done. I have no problem owning it.
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