<!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/2021/04/x-reasons-stephen-curry-is-the-rightful-mvp-over-joel-embiid-nikola-jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>3 reasons Stephen Curry is the rightful MVP over Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-19T22:44:35-07:00">April 19th, 10:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-19T22:46:55-07:00">April 19th, 10:46pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Stephen Curry went Super Saiyan on Monday and catapulted himself back to the MVP conversation. The Golden State Warriors two-time MVP dropped another 49-point game against one of the league’s top MVP candidates in Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.</p><p>Sure enough, it isn’t just a fluke. Curry has been on a crazy shooting run in the month of April, which has us (and <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1384329758742253568">Magic Johnson</a>) speculating if he deserves another Maurice Podoloff trophy over Embiid and the league’s leading MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steph Curry left no doubt about who the real MVP is tonight! He scored 49 points and led his Warriors to victory over the Sixers 107-96.</p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1384329758742253568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>If you’re still on the fence about Curry’s MVP-worth season, then here are three reasons why he deserves MVP trophy No. 3.</p><h2><b>1. Stephen Curry’s Out-of-this-world stats</b></h2><p>Let’s start with the basics – statistics. The last time Stephen Curry lifted up an MVP trophy was back in the 2015-2016 season when he was named the unanimous back-to-back MVP. The 2015-16 season was a historic one, not just for the 73-9 Warriors, but also for Curry.</p><p>Aside from becoming just the 11th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP crowns, he made history as the first-ever player to grab a unanimous vote. Curry also led the league in scoring that year and made it to the elusive 50-40-90 club. Just looking at the numbers, Curry’s 2020-21 season is surprisingly better than his 2015-16 campaign.</p><p>After his most recent outburst, Curry has now outdone his MVP-self by averaging 31.4 points per game, compared to just 30.1 points per game back in 2015-16. Though his shooting numbers are down a bit (.504 compared to .491), he’s been able to match his 3-point shooting average of knocking down 5.1 threes per game plus his two-point shooting is way better.</p><h2><b>2. Most Valuable for Warriors</b></h2><p>As we all know, MVP awards aren’t solely based on data. This brings us to the second reason why Steph deserves to win this season’s MVP trophy: he’s been the most valuable player for his team all season. If you look at other big names that have been stealing the spotlight this season, Curry’s name should be way up there in terms of how much he has affected his team’s success, especially this year.</p><p>For the first time in a long time, Curry has no All-Star caliber teammates, which make his impact for the Warriors even more evident. Golden State has posted a 1-7 record in the times that Curry was sidelined this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">If Curry keeps on racking up games like this, it's gotta happen. <a href="https://t.co/VZBwN7YAjk" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/VZBwN7YAjk</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1384333262693171200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Fine, you can make the argument that Jokic also doesn’t have All-Star-worthy teammates. However, if you look at the numbers, The Joker has had way more help in the likes of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. If you’re talking about the most valuable player for their respective team then Curry, by far, is the one.</p><h2><b>3. Stephen Curry’s Narrative</b></h2><p>Last, but certainly not least, Curry winning his third MVP fits the narrative<b>.</b> Everyone in the NBA loves underdog stories and, surprisingly enough, Curry and his squad have been one of the biggest underdogs this season.</p><p>Without Klay Thompson for the second straight season and now losing their second overall pick in James Wiseman, the Warriors have been counted out way more times in these past two seasons compared to any other team in the league. This has been enough fuel to help Curry go on an insane MVP-type run this campaign.</p><p>The Warriors went from lifting their third NBA finals trophy in four years to losing the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors all the way down to having the worst record in the league last season. Now, with Curry leading the way, Golden State continues to make a run for a return to the playoffs this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MVP chants in Philly. </p><p>Steph Curry is SPECIAL 🙌<a href="https://t.co/Qt9IwqC7V4" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/Qt9IwqC7V4</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1384330789454704640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Yes, the Warriors fighting for playoff contention might seem to derail Curry’s MVP chances this season. They are currently at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings/" rel="noopener">ninth spot</a> with a ticket to the play-in tournament not yet guaranteed. For those leaning on this particular tidbit, let me just remind you that Russell Westbrook won his MVP trophy with the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2016-17 even with OKC just finishing the regular season as the sixth seed.</p><p>I rest my case.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 reasons Stephen Curry is the rightful MVP over Joel Embiid, 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/2021/04/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-makes-grizzlies-pay-for-huge-disrespect-with-clutch-triple.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic makes Grizzlies pay for huge disrespect with clutch triple</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-19T21:52:00-07:00">April 19th, 9:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-19T21:52:53-07:00">April 19th, 9:52pm</time><address><a>Kriel Ibarrola</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic practically delivered the nail in the coffin of the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena on Monday. The Joker, who is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3" rel="noopener">shooting 42.2 percent</a> from long range this season, was left wide open by the Grizzlies at the top of the key with under a minute left in the second extra period.</p><p>The audacity, right? That’s just a recipe for disaster.</p><p>The 7-foot Serbian made Memphis pay for their disrespect of his shooting prowess, as he gave the Nuggets a 3-point lead in that crucial juncture of the match. Here’s Jokic’s <a href="https://twitter.com/MrMichaelLee/status/1384358532666073089" rel="noopener">clutch heroics</a> that gave them a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/memphis-grizzlies-denver-nuggets-4-20-2021/4972924e-ba8f-409c-928d-a8cd6456b5ab" rel="noopener">139-137 overtime</a> win.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The lowest drafted players to ever win MVP were Steve Nash &amp; Giannis Antetokounmpo. Both went 15th overall. The current frontrunner is this guy. He went 41st. Folks still sleeping on Nikola Jokic because, um, how was he this open? <a href="https://t.co/0AjDewhcKO" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/0AjDewhcKO</a></p><p>— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrMichaelLee/status/1384358532666073089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Nikola Jokic was automatic from the field all-game long, making the Grizzlies’ late-game defensive lapse even more head-scratching. He punished the visitors with 47 points on 20-for-31 shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers in 45 minutes. He was two assists shy of another triple-double performance, adding 15 boards, eight dimes and one block.</p><p>With Jokic playing the best basketball of his career, Denver has bounced back from a slow start and is now back in the Top 4 in the West with a 37-20 slate. His amazing play in the wake of Jamal Murray’s season-ending injury only strengthens his bid for MVP this season.</p><p>Let this be a warning to the rest of the league: never leave The Joker wide open, especially with the game on the line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic makes Grizzlies pay for huge disrespect with clutch triple

<!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/2021/04/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets-Hakeem-Olajuwon-Grizzlies.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic matches Hakeem Olajuwon’s 25-year-old big man record after clinic vs. Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-19T21:42:15-07:00">April 19th, 9:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-19T21:42:15-07:00">April 19th, 9:42pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has once again put himself up there as one of the best big men to ever play in the NBA. On Monday, he achieved an incredible feat and became the first center to tally a 45-15-8 line since the great Hakeem Olajuwon in 1996 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1384355919132119047">StatMuse</a>).</p><p>Jokic led the Nuggets to a huge double OT win over the Memphis Grizzlies with 47 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists.</p><p>Did someone say, MVP?</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic tonight:</p><p>47 PTS<br>15 REB<br>8 AST<br>20-31 FG</p><p>The first center with a 45/15/8 game since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1996. <a href="https://t.co/0vwF4pEYSv" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/0vwF4pEYSv</a></p><p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1384355919132119047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Jokic put up a basketball clinic at the Ball Arena. The Joker pulled out all the stops against the feisty Grizzlies with key plays and buckets down the stretch. With the game on the line, he stepped up to the plate and knocked down a wide-open three-pointer in the second overtime to ice the game and help the Nuggets claim their 20th home win of the season.</p><p>The modern-day NBA has definitely taken the spotlight away from the big men. The game has shifted to a faster pace which has eventually undervalued the elite centers in the league right now. Jokic, however, has made sure that he’s been able to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3/stats">change that narrative this season</a>.</p><p>The 26-year-old three-time All-Star has reinvented the five-spot and has developed into one of the most versatile big men the NBA has ever seen. He runs the floor for the Nuggets and can even play the point guard position down the block.</p><p>MVP-type centers have been few and far between in recent history. The last big man to win an MVP trophy was Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs in 2003. Almost two decades later, Nikola Jokic might well be on his way to his first MVP crown.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic matches Hakeem Olajuwon’s 25-year-old big man record after clinic vs. Grizzlies

<!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/2021/03/Nikola-Jokic-vocal-on-championship-commitment-with-Denver.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets star Nikola Jokic responds to Stephen Curry’s 49 points with 47-15-8 game vs. Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-19T21:28:30-07:00">April 19th, 9:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-19T21:28:30-07:00">April 19th, 9:28pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic responds with a masterful performance on Monday to grab the spotlight back with regards to the current MVP conversations. On the same night when the Golden State Warriors’ two-time MVP Stephen Curry erupted for another incredible 49-point performance, The Joker snagged his <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1384355844284813314" rel="noopener">own 47-piece</a> in a thrilling OT win over the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Coincidence?</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">UNSTOPPABLE.</p><p>UNGUARDABLE. </p><p>MVP. <a href="https://t.co/eqRAgYGMSK" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/eqRAgYGMSK</a></p><p>— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1384355228217053186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic with a MONSTER game in double OT to get the Nuggets the dub 💪</p><p>47 points<br>15 rebounds<br>8 assists<br>1 block</p><p>20-31 FGM<br>5-6 FTM <a href="https://t.co/IQeWsQyvD7" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/IQeWsQyvD7</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1384355844284813314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The leading MVP race candidate was clearly unguardable against the Grizzlies. Nikola Jokic had another<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/memphis-grizzlies-denver-nuggets-4-20-2021/4972924e-ba8f-409c-928d-a8cd6456b5ab" rel="noopener"> monster stat line</a> for the Nuggets and put up 15 rebounds and eight dimes alongside his 47-point outburst.</p><p>Moreover, Jokic iced the game in the second OT with a dagger three to keep the Grizzlies at bay and eventually seal the Nuggets’ third-straight W.</p><p>Ever since the second half of the season started, Jokic has taken over the MVP race and has dominated the entire league. Since the All-Star break, the Serbian has been averaging a near triple-double night in and night out with 24.1 point to go along with 10.9 boards and 9.2 assists. It did help his case that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers missed a few games and Curry’s recent run might be too little too late.</p><p>Jokic has been by far the most dominant player in the league this entire season, and he has been able to keep the Nuggets in the top-four of the very competitive Western Conference playoff race. With his partner Jamal Murray being sidelined for the rest of the season, it’s all up to the 26-year-old point center to lead the way for the Mile High City.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic responds to Stephen Curry’s 49 points with 47-15-8 game vs. Grizzlies

<!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/2021/04/sixers-news-incredible-stat-backs-joel-embiids-mvp-case-over-nikola-jokic-luka-doncic.jpg"></figure><h1>Incredible stat backs Sixers star Joel Embiid’s MVP case over Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-17T17:15:17-07:00">April 17th, 5:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-17T17:15:17-07:00">April 17th, 5:15pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid has been playing at an elite level right now. As a matter of fact, the Sixers big man has been doing so for pretty much the entire season. This is exactly why he is considered by most as one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-joel-embiids-mvp-season-is-breaking-the-modern-nba/" rel="noopener">frontrunners</a> to this year’s MVP title along with the likes of Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.</p><p>Enough of the narrative, though. Here is a pretty incredible statistical fact that speaks for Embiid’s case (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1383246958890930177">Ohm Youngmisuk</a> of The Athletic):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joel Embiid leads NBA in win percentage (.789, 30-8) while averaging 30 PPG. That would be 3rd-most PPG in a season by the leader in win percentage in league history. Only Wilt and MJ are ahead of Embiid per Elias Sports Bureau. Everyone on this list won MVP. <a href="https://t.co/GQrQqcFOmg" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/GQrQqcFOmg</a></p><p>— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1383246958890930177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 17, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As they always say, how your team fares in the season will always have a significant impact on any player’s chances for the MVP trophy. If you look at the chart above, it is clear that Embiid should be handed the trophy if the MVP title was being announced today.  Simply put, it’s all about being the best player on the best team. Embiid is definitely that man right now as he’s led the Sixers to the best record in the Eastern Conference (although technically the Utah Jazz own the best record in the NBA at the moment).</p><p>Make no mistake about it, however. At this point, Embiid is anything but a shoo-in for the MVP award. So many other factors come into play, with some of them being intangibles that cannot be measured by numbers or statistics. Be that as it may, no one can say that Embiid does not deserve to win the Most Valuable Player title this year — at least at this point in the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Incredible stat backs Sixers star Joel Embiid’s MVP case over Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic

<!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/2021/04/Nuggets-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets star Nikola Jokic pulls off the most ridiculous assist you’ll ever see</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-16T18:49:26-07:00">April 16th, 6:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-16T18:50:41-07:00">April 16th, 6:50pm</time><address><a>Julian Fadullon</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets have recently learned that star Jamal Murray will be out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. While that’s wildly tragic, and puts a bit of a damper on their postseason hopes, at least they still have Nikola Jokic.</p><p>At this point, it’s unfair to Jokic to say that he’s just the best passing center in the game. He might just be the best passer in the league <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1383226668509138947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1383226668509138947%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1101446action%3Dedit">after this play against the Houston Rockets</a>:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">What a dish from Joker 🃏 <a href="https://t.co/RXQvE8WbS8" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/RXQvE8WbS8</a></p><p>— NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1383226668509138947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 17, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Okay, so Jokic might not be athletic or explosive in any way, but who really needs those things when you have legitimate superpowers? The Nuggets star is riding passes like these to the tune of 8.8 assists per game as a legitimate center.</p><p>The numbers back up his flash too, as The Joker is currently sporting a near 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio this season. The do-it-all center, in fact, is having an absolute romp over the league (26 points, 10.9 rebounds, and the aforementioned 8.8 assists per game with a PER of 30.9) and is currently the favorite to win his first MVP award.</p><p>With the Nuggets’ embarrassing amount of cutters and solid play calling from head coach Mike Malone,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/roster"> they are perhaps one of the most sound teams in the league offensively</a>, even without Jamal Murray. With Jokic leading the team, it would surprise no one to see them in the Western Conference Finals.</p><p>So before that happens and he becomes legitimately popular, look up this play and the army of others just like it, before the best center in the NBA (you heard me) becomes mainstream.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic pulls off the most ridiculous assist you’ll ever see

<!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/2021/04/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic’s philosophical take on leading Nuggets without Jamal Murray</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-15T06:56:11-07:00">April 15th, 6:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-15T07:01:18-07:00">April 15th, 7:01am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jamal Murray has been ruled out for the rest of the season after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-jamal-murray-done-season-torn-acl/">suffering a torn ACL</a>. He’s also likely to be sidelined for a good chunk of next year as well. It puts the Denver Nuggets in a rough spot, as they’ve been playing so well with Murray acting as one of their main facilitators. The players on the roster will all have to step up in a big way to continue pushing the team in the right direction. Nikola Jokic will be leaned on more heavily, as he’ll continue to be the focal point of the Nuggets team.</p><p>Jokic was asked about Murray’s injury, and how the Nuggets will carry forward. He provided an answer only he could give, a Jokic provided a philosophical response, <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1382584459543736324">per Mike Singer</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic, the philosopher. </p><p>Have fun with that one, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@MarkG_Medina</a> 🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/ssRiX8Ayfr" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/ssRiX8Ayfr</a></p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1382584459543736324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of the story about the little piece of paper. They didn’t teach that one at my school, but hey, to each their own. However, what the Nuggets big man is saying does make sense. Jokic is talking about the perception of the situation a person is currently in.</p><p>The Nuggets are in a bad situation with Murray out of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/roster">lineup</a>. The point Jokic is making is that as long as the team stays focused on the good, the team will continue to play at a high level.</p><p>After a response like this one, it’s no wonder Nikola Jokic is viewed as one of the best centers in the league. Not only does he dominate the NBA court, but he’s capable of providing incredible insight as well. As long as Jokic is in the lineup, the Nuggets have a legitimate leader to rely on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic’s philosophical take on leading Nuggets without Jamal Murray

<!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/2021/04/Nikola-Jokic-receives-massive-challenge-after-Jamal-Murray_s-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets star Nikola Jokic receives massive challenge after Jamal Murray’s injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-14T20:16:19-07:00">April 14th, 8:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-14T20:17:14-07:00">April 14th, 8:17pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>All eyes are on Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets after the devastating news that his point guard Jamal Murray will be out for the remainder of the season. Murray tore his ACL earlier this week, which now put the spotlight on the league’s leading MVP candidate.</p><blockquote>“He’s got to be the guy that kind of rights the ship, puts the team on his back,” head coach Michael Malone said of the Nuggets star, via <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind/status/1382491333902798848">Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports</a>. “Because that’s what MVP’s do. And in my humble opinion I think he is the MVP this season.”</blockquote><p>Jokic has had another monster campaign this season. He has been averaging career-highs across the board and has kept the Nuggets afloat in the middle of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings" rel="noopener">Western Conference playoff picture</a>. Now that his partner in crime is out, The Joker will have to step his game up even more to make sure they stay in contention.</p><p>The Nuggets have been on a roll this past month before stumbling into some adversity this week. Jokic has been at the thick of things and Malone is hoping that his superstar can step up to the plate and bring Denver to where they want to be.</p><blockquote>“I really think lately he’s allowing that frustration of the whistle to really get to him, and it’s understandable. I understand and can appreciate,” Malone added. “Now with no Jamal and 18 games to go, we need the best version of everybody. But especially Nikola.”</blockquote><p>With the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers breathing down their necks, it’s up to Nikola Jokic to find his next gear and take this shorthanded Nuggets squad to a Top-4 finish in the West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic receives massive challenge after Jamal Murray’s injury

<!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/2021/04/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>The shocking Nikola Jokic stat that makes Jamal Murray’s injury even scarier for the Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-13T07:47:17-07:00">April 13th, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-13T07:47:52-07:00">April 13th, 7:47am</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray suffered a scary <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-jamal-murray-falls-down-in-pain-after-scary-looking-knee-injury/">knee injury</a> near the end of their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/schedule">116-107</a> defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Monday. While Nikola Jokic has been putting up an MVP caliber season, this stat suggests he has a much more positive impact with Murray on the floor.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM">Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN</a>, the Nuggets are extremely efficient with both Murray and Jokic on the floor at the same time. On the flip side, if Murray isn’t on the court with Jokic, Denver’s net efficiency becomes negative.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This season, the Nuggets have a +11.5 net efficiency when Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are on the court together. When Jokic is on the court without Murray, that drops to -2.1 per <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@ESPNStatsInfo</a></p><p>— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1381848007700750338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As Denver fans await for Murray’s official diagnosis, this certainly isn’t a stat they want to see. It only makes the wait more nerve-wracking for Nuggets Nation.</p><p>As mentioned, Jokic has been playing out of his mind and has been in the thick of the MVP conversation this season. However, it’s highly unlikely the Nuggets can reach its goal of winning a championship without him. The aforementioned stat suggests that The Joker thrives most with the Blue Arrow on the floor. Furthermore, Murray played like an absolute superstar in their Western Conference Finals run in the 2020 playoffs and they will definitely need him if they want any chance of contending.</p><p>Murray suffered the injury in the final minute as he drove down the lane for a layup. The Canadian was hurt in a non-contact play and immediately grabbed his knee and screamed as soon he crashed to the floor. The Nuggets’ medical staff brought out a wheelchair to bring Murray to the back, but the tough 6-foot-4 guard opted to walk with assistance from some staff.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The shocking Nikola Jokic stat that makes Jamal Murray’s injury even scarier for the Nuggets

<!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/2021/04/image_2021-04-13_202157.png"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. react after seeing Jamal Murray scream in pain</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-13T05:29:45-07:00">April 13th, 5:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-13T05:29:45-07:00">April 13th, 5:29am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets were dealt with a big blow after point guard Jamal Murray suffered a knee injury in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. His teammate Nikola Jokic showed concern over the playmaker’s situation but remained hopeful that it won’t be a major injury and he will be able to be back sooner than later, per <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1381846457603350535">Ohm Youngmisuk</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic on Jamal Murray: "I saw him in pain. I didn't even see what happened… we don't know yet (how severe it is) but hopefully not something huge."</p><p>— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1381846457603350535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Another Nuggets player in Michael Porter Jr. was also worried about Murray’s condition and stressed his immense value to the team.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michael Porter Jr. heard Jamal Murray yelling in pain after the injury. On what Murray means: “Y’all know what he means to us, he’s ‘the dude’ – Nikola and Jamal. They brought this team to new heights… but we are more worried about his well-being right now.”</p><p>— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1381844897674588160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>On the floor, Murray was initially going for a layup between two defenders as the Nuggets were trailing 111-104 against the Warriors with 50.6 seconds left in the game. Seemingly a non-contact injury, he had clearly had a bad landing on his left knee which caused him to crumble in pain on the ground.</p><p>After the incident, Murray declined to be put in a wheelchair as he hopped off the court with the help of the team’s staff members. He exited the game with tallies of 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists through 33 minutes played.</p><p>With the 53-point explosion of Stephen Curry, the Warriors ultimately emerged victorious on a 116-107 victory as the Nuggets dropped back to 34-20 for the fourth spot in the Western Conference.</p><p>The exact details regarding the injury of Jamal Murray have yet to be determined but his expected absence will certainly be a huge blow for a Nuggets squad that is still trying to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/records">climb up</a> the standings in the West. Hopefully, the injury won’t turn out as bad so he can return back to action at some point this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. react after seeing Jamal Murray scream in pain

<!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/2021/04/Steve-Kerr_s-perfect-response-on-how-to-slow-down-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>Steve Kerr’s perfect response on how to slow down Nuggets star Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-12T19:34:36-07:00">April 12th, 7:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-12T19:34:36-07:00">April 12th, 7:34pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors face a tough test on Monday when they take on the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center. Prior to the game, Dubs head coach Steve Kerr was asked about his game plan against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. His response was equal parts hilarious and spot on.</p><p>According to Kerr, it simply isn’t about trying to slow down the Nuggets star:</p><blockquote>“Maybe the question should be how do we speed him up?” Kerr said, via <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind/status/1381765816522207232">Harrison Wind</a> of DNVR Sports. “… While he may not be blazing out there, he just does anything he wants.“He has the skill, the brain, the feel, the timing, that all the great ones have.”</blockquote><p>Fair assessment from coach Kerr here. Jokic isn’t exactly the quickest player out there, but he’s certainly one of the best of them. So much so, that the Nuggets center has established himself as a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nikola-jokics-mvp-case-doesnt-need-lebron-james-joel-embiids-injuries/" rel="noopener">legitimate MVP frontrunner</a> this season. With how things have been going thus far, this could actually be Jokic’s year.</p><p>Kerr could not agree more. He clearly believes that Jokic possesses the tools to be an all-time great, and as he admitted in his statement above, the Warriors will be hard-pressed to try and stop the Serbian national on Monday.</p><p>Both the Nuggets and the Warriors have playoff aspirations this term, albeit in varying degrees. Denver is chasing a Top 3 finish in the West while the Warriors are fighting for dear life. Entering Monday’s contest, the Dubs sit two games outside the playoffs picture in what is truly a ruthless Western Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steve Kerr’s perfect response on how to slow down Nuggets star 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/2021/04/Nuggets-news-NBA-reacts-to-Nikola-Jokic_s-technical-foul-vs.-Celtics.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA reacts to Nikola Jokic’s technical foul in Nuggets vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-12T17:48:40-07:00">April 12th, 5:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-12T17:48:40-07:00">April 12th, 5:48pm</time><address><a>Joseph Nocco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has become one of the best–if not the best–big men in the entire league while transforming himself into one of the top all-around players that the NBA has to offer in 2020-21. Despite being one of the frontrunners to win this year’s MVP Award alongside Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid, Jokic certainly hasn’t been getting the calls of a superstar player.</p><p>With the league’s officials seemingly calling the game differently for Jokic on both ends of the floor these days, something has finally gone the Nuggets’ way so it seems.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1381734383799791616?s=20">Mike Singer of The Denver Post</a>, the league has agreed to rescind Jokic’s latest technical foul, which came on Sunday against pesky guard Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics. The technical was arguably Jokic’s softest of the season, as it originally came down after he briefly expressed his displeasure for being called for a foul against the aforementioned Smart.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Source: The technical foul Nikola Jokic got for arguing his foul on Marcus Smart yesterday afternoon has been rescinded.</p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1381734383799791616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Even though Jokic has become more of a “point center,” the Nuggets big man still plays heavily in the paint while getting hacked left and right. Because Jokic doesn’t seem to get the same calls like other superstars, most of which don’t play the center position, Denver and head coach Mike Malone have been quite vocal throughout the campaign.</p><p>With Nikola Jokic unlucky on the other end of the floor as well, it was only a matter of time before the NBA seemingly had to throw the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/roster" rel="noopener">Nuggets</a> a bone.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA reacts to Nikola Jokic’s technical foul in Nuggets vs. Celtics

<!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/2021/04/nuggets-rumors-austin-rivers-a-potential-target-to-join-nikola-jokic-aaron-gordon-.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Austin Rivers a potential target to join Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon with Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-12T16:53:10-07:00">April 12th, 4:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-12T16:53:10-07:00">April 12th, 4:53pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets made waves across the league when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-deadline-nuggets-finalizing-deal-for-aaron-gordon-from-magic/" rel="noopener">brought on</a> Aaron Gordon prior to the trade deadline. As it turns out, however, the Nuggets aren’t done bolstering their squad. Reports are now saying that veteran guard Austin Rivers is now on Denver’s radar.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/04/12/nuggets-considering-austin-rivers-troy-daniels-gerald-green/">Mike Singer of the Denver Post</a> the Nuggets “have interest” in potentially adding Rivers to their squad as they look to beef up their roster ahead of the playoffs. The 28-year-old was recently waived by the New Orleans Pelicans after his trade deadline move from the New York Knicks, and as it is, Rivers is currently a free agent.</p><p>Denver could use some depth in their backcourt and we can certainly see a guy like Rivers playing alongside the likes of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Monte Morris, and Facundo Campazzo. Rivers has been around the block quite a bit so he also brings with him a ton of experience.</p><p>It’s been a forgettable season thus far for Rivers, who found himself in an undesirable spot with the Knicks following an offseason trade from the Houston Rockets. Rivers barely figured in Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation and he was clearly unwanted in New Orleans. It looks like the Nuggets are now looking to pounce on the 6-foot-4 combo guard.</p><p>It is worth noting that the Denver Post also reported that aside from Rivers, the Nuggets also “intend to add another player, potentially on a 10-day contract.” Clearly, Denver is going all in this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Austin Rivers a potential target to join Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon with Nuggets

<!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/2021/04/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-fires-back-at-officiating-after-ugly-loss-to-celtics.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic fires back at officiating after ugly loss to Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-11T16:52:00-07:00">April 11th, 4:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-11T16:52:34-07:00">April 11th, 4:52pm</time><address><a>Nicole Ganglani</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic didn’t hold back when he spoke about the officiating after Sunday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. </p><p>The MVP candidate may have been unhappy with the referees’ performance on Sunday but said it’s just really part of the game—what’s important for the Nuggets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/news">is to do their job. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Following Nuggets' loss to Celtics, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic on he and players complaining about the officiating: "The whole 30 teams are complaining and whining. It's just how the games goes. They're doing their job. We have to do their job."</p><p>— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina/status/1381363189388955650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina/status/1381363189388955650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1381363189388955650%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1086923action%3Dedit">makes sense</a> why the MVP candidate would say this. The Nuggets snapped their eight-game winning streak by allowing the Celtics to go on an impressive 40-8 scoring run to close the fourth quarter. Despite not having closer Jamal Murray, the loss didn’t sit well with the Joker. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jokic wants no part of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nuggets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Nuggets</a> huddle during the timeout. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Celtics</a> <a href="https://t.co/BqygoDI2Wf" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/BqygoDI2Wf</a></p><p>— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1381356012976791554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Jokic had another triple double for the Nuggets with 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and got contributions from teammates like Michael Porter Jr (22 points and 11 rebounds) Facundo Campazzo (14 points) and Will Barton (13 points). The Celtics were just the better team in the second half thanks to Jayson Tatum’s 28 points and 10 rebounds and Jaylen Brown’s 20 points. </p><p>In fairness to the Nuggets, they’ve been spectacular since they acquired Aaron Gordon in the trade deadline. Not only did they win eight straight games but Gordon has also already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-the-absurd-nikola-jokic-aaron-gordon-stat-that-proves-magical-connection/">developed</a> on court chemistry with Jokic and Murray. Gordon increases the chance of the Nuggs to make a long playoffs push this season. </p><p>The Nuggets are currently in the fourth spot of the Western Conference, just one game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have been without their superstars Anthony Davis and LeBron James but are expected to make one final regular season run when both players get back. </p><p>The best thing the Nuggets can do now is to separate themselves amongst the teams below the standings to secure a top spot in the Western Conference. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic fires back at officiating after ugly loss to Celtics

<!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/2021/04/nuggets-news-nikola-jokics-frustrated-reaction-after-celtics-40-8-comeback-run.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic’s frustrated reaction after Celtics’ 40-8 comeback run vs. Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-11T16:26:44-07:00">April 11th, 4:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-11T16:26:44-07:00">April 11th, 4:26pm</time><address><a>Nicole Ganglani</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic seemed unhappy after they gave up Sunday’s game to the visiting Boston Celtics. Jokic and his team allowed the Beantown team, led by All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, to mount an impressive 40-8 run to close the fourth quarter. </p><p>The Nuggets were without their closer Jamal Murray, but their loss still didn’t seem to sit well with the MVP candidate. Jokic had another triple double with 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and got contributions from teammates like Michael Porter Jr. (22 points and 11 rebounds), Facundo Campazzo (14 points) and Will Barton (13 points). </p><p>During the fourth quarter, Jokic was seen on the bench isolated from teammates who were all in a huddle. What could have caused this? Perhaps allowing the Celtics to go on a scoring run? The referees? Or maybe the fact that the Nuggets snapped their eight-game winning streak? Who knows, but from the looks of it, Joker <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1381356012976791554" rel="noopener">doesn’t seem pleased</a>. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jokic wants no part of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nuggets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Nuggets</a> huddle during the timeout. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Celtics</a> <a href="https://t.co/BqygoDI2Wf" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/BqygoDI2Wf</a></p><p>— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1381356012976791554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p> </p><p>In fairness to the Nuggets, they’ve looked outstanding since they acquired Aaron Gordon in the trade deadline. Gordon has become a role player alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and he has already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-the-absurd-nikola-jokic-aaron-gordon-stat-that-proves-magical-connection/">developed </a>on-court chemistry with both players. Gordon increases the chance of the Nuggs making a longer playoff push this 2021. </p><p>As for Jokic, his MVP campaign continues. He’s clearly one of, if not the frontrunner to secure this year’s prestigious individual award. The big man is averaging <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3" rel="noopener">26.8 points</a>, 11.1 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game this season. Jokic’s Nuggets have been red-hot before losing to the Celtics, but they have the chance to bounce back versus the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets in the next few days. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic’s frustrated reaction after Celtics’ 40-8 comeback run vs. Nuggets

<!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/2021/04/image_2021-04-10_213121.png"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic gets sterling praise from DeMar DeRozan, Gregg Popovich</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-10T06:35:11-07:00">April 10th, 6:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-10T06:35:11-07:00">April 10th, 6:35am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With a 34-18 record, the Denver Nuggets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/records">sit comfortably</a> in fourth place in the Western Conference. They’re one of the hotter teams right now and have a legitimate chance to win an NBA championship this year. Thanks to Nikola Jokic’s leadership, Denver won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Averaging 26.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, Jokic has put himself in MVP contention this year.</p><p>His level of play caught the attention of prominent names in the San Antonio Spurs organization after the Nuggets beat them Friday night 121-119. <a href="https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1380727604064436224">According to Tom Osborn</a>, Gregg Popovich spouted off compliments of Jokic’s impressive game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jokic's 54th career triple-double included 14 assists.</p><p>"That’s why they are a hell of a team," Pop said. "Jokic is maybe the best passer in the league – certainly the best big-man passer – and better than most wings. He sets the table for everybody. He’s great."</p><p>— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) <a href="https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1380727604064436224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The approbation continued with the Spurs’ star player, DeMar DeRozan, as he also spoke highly of Jokic after the game as well. DeRozan is a 12-year veteran that is one of the most well-liked players in the league. If he thinks highly of someone, it really means something.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">High praise from one of the most well-respected players in the league. <a href="https://t.co/GyRPrRIDGC" target="_blank">https://t.co/GyRPrRIDGC</a></p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1380740012422012930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Nuggets star center has made waves the last few years, but his season is undoubtedly his best. He’s been able to keep the Nuggets competitive and without him, they would be a vastly different team. Jokic has a strong case to win the coveted MVP award right now, but it will all be for naught if the team doesn’t take home a championship soon.</p><p>The Nuggets are trying to close the gap between themselves and the Los Angeles Clippers. Tune into Denver’s next game on Sunday night as they play against the Boston Celtics. It should be a highly contested battle, as Boston is fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic gets sterling praise from DeMar DeRozan, Gregg Popovich

<!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/2021/04/image_2021-04-08_212638.png"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic hilariously left with bill after Michael Malone’s ejection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-08T06:36:17-07:00">April 8th, 6:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-08T06:45:54-07:00">April 8th, 6:45am</time><address><a>Kirby Garlitos</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone was ejected during the second quarter of the their game against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night.</p><p>The Nuggets still managed to win the game, 106-96, without their play-caller, and it appears that superstar and MVP hopeful Nikola Jokic also has his coach’s back when it comes to the fine that Malone is expected to receive from the league office for his outburst. Or so that’s <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1380023257143775232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1380023257143775232%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1077316action%3Dedit">what Malone claims.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">There was approximately a 2% chance Nikola Jokic offered to pay Michael Malone’s fine before Malone threw him all the way under the bus. <a href="https://t.co/xZjcz8y6Rj" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/xZjcz8y6Rj</a></p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1380023257143775232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 8, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s not uncommon for franchise players to pay for fines incurred by their teammates and coaches, but the tone in Malone’s voice when he said that the Joker offered to pay for his fine suggests that Jokic wasn’t fully in on the joke.</p><p>Then again, Big Honey, as Jokic is affectionately called by his teammates, is regarded as one of the good guys in the league and an A1 teammate. Even if Malone’s story that Jokic offered to open his wallet for his fine was pure fabrication, don’t be surprised if the Joker does end up having his coach’s back when the memo from the league office comes.</p><p>Jokic made sure that his coach’s fiery outburst didn’t go to waste, leading the Nuggets to its <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/records">seventh-straight win</a>, the last two of which coming without star guard Jamal Murray. The MVP front-runner picked the Spurs defense apart, finishing the game with 25 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, and if his coach has his way, a slightly lighter wallet.</p><p>All in a day’s work for the Nuggets big man.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic hilariously left with bill after Michael Malone’s ejection

<!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/2021/03/Nikola-Jokic-Aaron-Gordon-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>The absurd Nikola Jokic-Aaron Gordon stat that proves their magical connection with Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-07T20:59:41-07:00">April 7th, 8:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-07T20:59:41-07:00">April 7th, 8:59pm</time><address><a>Nicole Ganglani</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has been two weeks since the NBA trade deadline and it’s safe to say that the Denver Nuggets indeed won. The Nuggs’ latest addition in Aaron Gordon has been the perfect fit for the team, playing like peanut butter and jelly alongside MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. One stat alone proves as much.</p><p>Did you know that Jokic has already assisted Gordon 16 times in six games? According to <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1379986443175555074" rel="noopener">Denver Post’s Mike Singer</a>, that’s one more assist than any Magic player has thrown to AG this season. This just proves two things: Jokic is arguably the best passing big man in the league and his chemistry with Gordon is undeniable. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic's last assist to Aaron Gordon was his 16th to him in six games. That's one more assist than any Magic player threw to Gordon this *entire* year. <a href="https://twitter.com/YourManDevine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@YourManDevine</a> first noticed this. Here's the link: <a href="https://t.co/70DKF7gBqj" target="_blank">https://t.co/70DKF7gBqj</a></p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1379986443175555074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 8, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Nuggets have won <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings" rel="noopener">seven straight games</a> and are only getting better each day. Their offense has heightened since Gordon’s arrival. They have already the established connection between Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, and adding Aaron Gordon’s cutting and scoring on offense just elevated their play even more.</p><p>That’s definitely going to be hard to stop come playoff time. To add to this, Michael Porter Jr. has also been shooting lights out from the 3-point line in the past few games, making them ever harder to guard. </p><p>The Jokic-Gordon tandem just adds another gear to this Nuggets team. It certainly has raised their confidence and play. Another significant boost in the acquisition of Gordon is how he contributes on defense as he can guard elite wings like Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James—two of the best superstars in the Western Conference. </p><p>Denver is certainly one of the most interesting teams to watch in the next coming weeks. Will they be able to finally get past the Western Conference finals this season? At this point, it’s fair to say they have a chance of doing so. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The absurd Nikola Jokic-Aaron Gordon stat that proves their magical connection with Nuggets

<!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/2021/04/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets-Pistons.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic has harsh words for Nuggets despite winning streak</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-06T22:28:13-07:00">April 6th, 10:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-06T22:28:13-07:00">April 6th, 10:28pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It seems Nikola Jokic isn’t convinced yet that the Denver Nuggets can take the extra step this season. The Nuggets notched a pretty convincing 134-119 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday to extend their winning streak to five games. Jokic, however, noted some holes in their performance.</p><p>While the Nuggets dominated almost the entire game, the do-it-all Jokic said they have the tendency to doze off when they get into a huge advantage (via <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1379640016486363137%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">Mike Singer of the Denver Post</a>).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic: “We are showing greatness and we are showing really bad minutes.” </p><p>Seems to be reiterating the same exact message as Malone.</p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1379640016486363137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The three-time All-Star, who’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3/stats">enjoying a stellar MVP campaign</a>, warned against complacency, perhaps already looking ahead to the NBA Playoffs, where they are looking to move past the Western Conference Finals.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asked Nikola whether the Nuggets get satisfied when they get up big: “It seems like it.” </p><p>Said that can’t be the case.</p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1379641055377682433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The 26-year-old Jokic almost had another triple-double in their rout of the Pistons, tallying 27 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists. Even more impressive, he only missed three of his 16 shots. He continues to set the tone for the Nuggets, who have been undefeated since acquiring high-flying forward Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic.</p><p>Jokic got plenty of help against the Pistons with Michael Porter Jr. and Will Barton putting up 25 and 24 points, respectively. They sufficiently made up for the absence of star guard Jamal Murray who sat out due to a knee injury.</p><p>While the Nuggets have played splendidly as of late, they remain in the middle of the pack in the tight Western Conference. Maybe that’s why Jokic isn’t too satisfied with their play. In a miss-or-make league like the NBA, a few sloppy showings due to overcomplacency could lead to nightmarish results. Just ask the Los Angeles Clippers last season, who the Nuggets booted out in the NBA Playoffs despite a 1-3 deficit.</p><p>Now, Nikola Jokic wants to make sure the same thing wouldn’t happen to them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic has harsh words for Nuggets despite winning streak

<!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/2021/04/jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets star Nikola Jokic reveals why he froze after Jamal Murray’s pre-game speech to fans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-04T22:57:44-07:00">April 4th, 10:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-04T22:57:44-07:00">April 4th, 10:57pm</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With a win against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, the Denver Nuggets have won their last five games and remain in fourth place in the Western Conference with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings/" rel="noopener">31-18 record</a>.</p><p>The team’s trade deadline acquisition of forward Aaron Gordon has paid dividends so far, with Gordon emerging as one of their top contributors. So before the game against the Magic, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray <a href="https://twitter.com/katywinge/status/1378894744328097792" rel="noopener">made it clear</a> that Denver’s goal this season isn’t just another deep postseason run but a championship.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jamal Murray: “You know what time it is, championship on 3. 1…2…3 CHAMPIONSHIP” </p><p>He smiles at Jokić. Jokić proceeds to point at Jamal and head off the floor 😭</p><p>As M-V-P chants echo through the arena!! <a href="https://t.co/2XGTFpHMv9" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/2XGTFpHMv9</a></p><p>— Katy Winge (@katywinge) <a href="https://twitter.com/katywinge/status/1378894744328097792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 5, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Murray’s pre-game speech got the team’s fans hyped up as they broke out into MVP chants. The problem was, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was supposed to speak after Murray, but he wasn’t able to get a word in as fans serenaded them with cheers.</p><p>After the game, Jokic was asked why he didn’t say anything after Murray’s inspiring pre-game speech, and his response was both fitting and hilarious.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola said Jamal Murray said enough pre-game that he didn’t need to say anything else. </p><p>“Whatever I say it’s gonna be stupid.” 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/BgI7AwI6hc" target="_blank">https://t.co/BgI7AwI6hc</a></p><p>— Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1378934478542790658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 5, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In Nikola Jokic’s defense, Jamal Murray’s speech was a tough act to follow. It’s hard to come up with a more inspiring speech when his teammate already said that they were gunning for a title.</p><p>But while the three-time All-Star froze after Murray’s pre-game speech, he was all business during the game and finished with a near triple-double of 17 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists in Denver’s 119-109 win over Orlando. Murray, meanwhile, seemed set to deliver on his promise of a title as he registered 22 points in the game.</p><p>For his part, Gordon led the Nuggets with 24 points against his former team.</p><p>With the Nuggets poised for another deep playoff run, Jokic will have his chance to deliver his share of inspiring pre-game speeches. For now, he’s as unselfish with the microphone as he is with the basketball and is letting his teammates do the talking.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.2	10.9	8.8	0.6	1.5

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.2	10.9	8.8	0.6	1.5

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