Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic went off again with another crazy performance, but it wasn’t enough to help his team get over the line as they lost against the Chicago Bulls, 129-121.
Jokic was unstoppable, putting up a triple-double with 33 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds. That makes 21 triple-doubles for him this season, more than anyone else in the league. He was perfect in the first half as he scored 21 points, made all ten of his shots, and added eight assists. According to Stathead, no one in NBA history has ever shot 100% on at least 10 attempts in a half while also racking up that many assists.
But even with Nikola Jokic's stellar performance, Denver had no answers for Chicago’s shooting. The Bulls were lights out from deep, hitting 24 3s on 53 attempts, their best shooting game this season. Seven players scored in double digits for Chicago. Nikola Vucevic had 20 points, ten rebounds, and six assists. Zach LaVine added 21, and Lonzo Ball scored 18 in his return from injury. Rookie Matas Buzelis had 13 points and hyped the crowd up with a sick dunk over Aaron Gordon.
Article Continues BelowThe Nuggets started strong, dominating the paint with 50 points inside compared to Chicago’s 14 in the first half. They also took advantage of turnovers, leading 18-3 in points off turnovers by halftime. But things fell apart when Chicago’s bench took over, outscoring Denver’s reserves 40-10. The Bulls opened the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run, turning a close game into a comfortable lead. Dalen Terry contributed 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting, and Buzelis kept the momentum going.
Christian Braun stepped up for Denver, dropping 28 points, five rebounds, and four assists. But Jamal Murray (18 points on 7-for-17 shooting) and Michael Porter Jr. (18 points) didn’t do enough to help. The Nuggets also struggled from 3, hitting just 7-22 from deep, which hurt their chances of keeping up, and they ultimately lost.
This is Denver’s second straight loss, having lost against the Timberwolves 104-133 previously. With a 28-18 record, they are the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will square off against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, January 29, at 7:30 PM ET.