<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-26_222141.png"></figure><h1>Jamal Murray’s eyebrow-raising Nikola Jokic dig after Nuggets’ brutal loss to Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T06:28:44-08:00">February 26th, 6:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T06:28:44-08:00">February 26th, 6:28am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets currently sit in eighth place in the Western Conference after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/schedule">losing their game</a> Thursday night to the Washington Wizards. <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind/status/1365167202685448200">Jamal Murray commented on the lack of inside defense</a>, raising a concern that’s taking a subtle dig on superstar center, Nikola Jokic.</p><blockquote>“I just thought they had too many layups. Too many layups…We lack a presence in the middle that just can deter layups.” He continues by saying, “So that’s kind of frustrating.”</blockquote><p>Jamal Murray isn’t plainly calling out Nikola Jokic’s suspect defense, but it’s clear that the Joker is the main culprit on that end. However, it doesn’t seem like Jamal Murray is wrong with his statement either. Although Jokic is one of the best centers in the league, his lack of defensive prowess has been prominent throughout his career.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This quote came out of nowhere. But to Murray's point, the Nuggets are the NBA's worst team at defending the restricted area. Teams are shooting a league-high 70.2% in the restricted area vs. Denver this season. It's easily the highest mark in the league. NOLA is second at 67.7% <a href="https://t.co/geX9TGbHGv" target="_blank">https://t.co/geX9TGbHGv</a></p><p>— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind/status/1365180806482681856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>There’s still enough time in the season for the Nuggets to right the ship, but stepping up on defense will go a long way. Murray’s right to be frustrated about the poor interior defense, but the team can still find ways to shore up their rim-protection alongside their supertstar center.</p><p>The Nuggets roster is stacked with offensive talent. So much so, it’s no wonder this organization struggles so much on defense. Paul Millsap, Will Barton and Michael Porter Jr. are all more known for their offensive abilities.</p><p>At the end of the day, it seems this Denver team has to do something to fix the issues on defense. They’re currently relying on their offense, but they’re not where they want to be after a stellar playoff run during the NBA bubble. It very well could be a scheme issue, but at the end of the day, the best players have to step up on both sides of the ball, not just on offense.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jamal Murray’s eyebrow-raising Nikola Jokic dig after Nuggets’ brutal loss to Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Kendrick-Perkins-Shaq-Nuggets-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>Kendrick Perkins shreds Shaq for bizarre comparison for Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-24T06:54:53-08:00">February 24th, 6:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-24T07:20:35-08:00">February 24th, 7:20am</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal previously likened the game of Denver Nuggets to former Indiana Pacers great Rik Smits. Kendrick Perkins saw the remark from the 4-time NBA champion and <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1364450966775369732">could not believe those words</a> came from O’Neal’s mouth.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shaq had to be joking!!! No way he was serious by making this Comparison. <a href="https://t.co/Az892Byw1A" target="_blank">https://t.co/Az892Byw1A</a></p><p>— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1364450966775369732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Shaq made the comparison back in the 2018-19 season during a Nuggets game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Smits’ former Pacers teammate Reggie Miller was on the broadcast when he asked O’Neal which player he encountered back in the day reminded him of The Joker. The Inside the NBA analyst immediately thought of the 7-foot-4 Dutchman, whom he faced in multiple postseason battles throughout the 1990s.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Much like Perkins’ reaction, most people would probably scoff at this comparison and crucify O’Neal for this pretty unpopular take. Nevertheless, Shaq gave Smits his props and said he was “a beast” before suffering through foot problems later in his career.</p><p>Many kids today aren’t familiar or probably don’t even know who Rik Smits is. The Dunking Dutchman had a solid career in the NBA that spanned 12 seasons. He served as the starting center for the Pacers for nearly his entire career and posted career averages of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3/stats">14.8</a> points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Those numbers are a far cry from Jokic’s mind-boggling stats, as the Nuggets superstar is averaging a near triple-double with 27.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists.</p><p>Nevertheless, much like The Joker, Smits possessed a pretty sweet shooting stroke and had crafty footwork as well on the post. Perhaps this is where O’Neal sees the similarity between Smits and Jokic.</p><p>However, Smits never had Jokic’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-denver-shatter-unbelievable-nba-record/">elite passing skill</a>s and was never a tenacious rebounder, unlike the Serbian. Nikola Jokic is perhaps already the best passing big man in the history of the NBA and arguably the most unique player in the league today.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shaq had to be joking!!! No way he was serious by making this Comparison. <a href="https://t.co/Az892Byw1A" target="_blank">https://t.co/Az892Byw1A</a></p><p>— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1364450966775369732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kendrick Perkins shreds Shaq for bizarre comparison for Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic, Nuggets shatter unbelievable NBA record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-23T22:58:27-08:00">February 23rd, 10:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-23T22:58:27-08:00">February 23rd, 10:58pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets had one reason to be a little mad about after their win over on Tuesday: Their lone turnover. Yes, Nikola Jokic and rest of the Nuggets only committed one error in 48 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers. Well, as they say, nobody’s perfect.</p><p>Somebody broke an NBA record though as the Nuggets’ single turnover is now the fewest by any team in NBA history, according to the number-crunching, history-collating, data-scouring people of <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse">StatMuse</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Nuggets combined for 1 turnover tonight — breaking the record for fewest turnover in a single game in NBA history.</p><p>(Submitted by <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredAGoodman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@JaredAGoodman</a>) <a href="https://t.co/4gLFLy4dxy" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/4gLFLy4dxy</a></p><p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1364450825385353218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The biggest question now is: Who committed that single gaffe for the Nuggets? The answer: Jamal Murray. He coughed up the ball early in the second quarter after going out of bounds.</p><p>The Nuggets beat the previous record of two turnovers set by the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 122-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in March 2013. Russell Westbrook and Ronnie Brewer were the two culprits for their twin errors.</p><p>Despite the Nuggets’ almost immaculate performance, the game was pretty close as the gritty Trail Blazers hung tough. But in the end, Mile High City hacked out a 112-106 win behind another monstrous performance from Jokic. The versatile big man finished with a game-high 41 points on 17-32 shooting from the field. He also added five rebounds, five assists, and <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1364450477664964610">one hilarious postgame interview</a>.</p><p>The Joker continues his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-somehow-makes-one-footed-fadeaway-with-0-5-on-shot-clock/">most unbelievable season</a> to date, being one of the strongest contenders for the MVP plum. He’s almost impossible to contain when he’s fully engaged, which is almost all the time.</p><p>Still, Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets may need to get back to the drawing board because how dare they commit even one turnover?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets shatter unbelievable NBA record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nikola-Jokic-Shaquille-ONeal-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>Video: Nikola Jokic hilariously clowns Shaq in postgame interview</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-23T22:30:37-08:00">February 23rd, 10:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-23T22:30:37-08:00">February 23rd, 10:30pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal tried his best to say something to Nikola Jokic in the Denver Nuggets big man’s native language. While Shaq was translating his message using his phone, Jokic had a hilarious warning to the Hall of Fame center.</p><p>After the Nuggets’ 111-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Jokic joined the <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364450477664964610%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1016613action%3Dedit">NBA on TNT</a> crew for a little postgame fun. It turns out that Shaq wanted to greet Jokic in Serbian, with a little help of an automated translation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Don't do the bad words." 😂<a href="https://twitter.com/SHAQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@SHAQ</a> struggled with his postgame message to Jokic. <a href="https://t.co/WMFAL7yA3O" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/WMFAL7yA3O</a></p><p>— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1364450477664964610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Jokic has never been shy in showing off his funny side during postgame interviews. So it’s no surprise that he went toe-to-toe with Shaq, who’s arguably the most entertaining NBA player in history.</p><p>Besides, the 26-year-old Jokic was named as a starter in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game. This marks the third time in his young career that he’s been selected. It would be interesting to see if he’ll end up with Team LeBron James or with Team Kevin Durant.</p><p>Who knew that a 41st overall pick would become <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-jamal-murray-campaigns-for-nikola-jokic-as-best-center-in-the-league/">one of the best big men in the NBA</a>? Nikola Jokic is a great example that you don’t necessarily have to be athletic to survive in the NBA. All you need is some insane passing skills and a high basketball IQ. Plus, a sense of humor wouldn’t hurt.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Video: Nikola Jokic hilariously clowns Shaq in postgame interview

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Denver-makes-history-in-first-half-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets make history in first half vs. Cavs, but it didn’t involve Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-19T18:32:01-08:00">February 19th, 6:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-19T18:32:01-08:00">February 19th, 6:32pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets have made history once again, except this time it didn’t involve All-Star starter Nikola Jokic. Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray combined for a record-breaking feat in the first half of Friday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.</p><p>According to Sports Center, MPJ and Murray broke a 15-year drought of the Nuggets having multiple players score at least 20 points each in the first half of a game. The last Denver to do it was Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">For the first time since 2006, the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@nuggets</a> had multiple players (MPJ and Jamal Murray) score 20+ points in the first half. </p><p>The last pair to do so was Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. <a href="https://t.co/DXzNvnvFy0" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/DXzNvnvFy0</a></p><p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1362937861834702851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>That’s an impressive company to be a part of, and the fact Nikola Jokic isn’t one of the two is even more surprising. While Jokic has been the Nuggets’ best player and an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-jamal-murray-campaigns-for-nikola-jokic-as-best-center-in-the-league/">MVP candidate</a> through the first chunk of the year, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will need to play well if Denver wants to make some noise in the Western Conference.</p><p>Prior to Friday’s game, Jokic was <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jokicni01.html" rel="noopener">averaging</a> 27.4 points with 11.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists including a career-high 40.2 percent from beyond the arc. As for Murray, he was putting up a career-best 19.4 points per game with 4.3 boards and 4.5 assists.</p><p>For MPJ, he went through the health and safety protocols and missed a good chunk of time. Since coming back, he is starting to find his groove before all the health issues this season. He was averaging 13.7 points with 6.1 boards, though he certainly needs to find a way to be the third-best player for the Nuggets more consistently.</p><p>The Nuggets were able to take care of the Cavs in easy fashion on Friday night and continue their ascension towards the top half of the West, just months after a Conference Finals loss to the Los Angles Lakers.</p><p>If the Nuggets want to make another deep run, MPJ and Murray are going to need to have huge games like this one more often.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
27.0	10.9	8.4	0.6	1.7

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
27.0	10.9	8.4	0.6	1.7

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Nuggets make history in first half vs. Cavs, but it didn’t involve Nikola Jokic