The Denver Nuggets had a weird start to the season. Their fitness and effort didn’t seem quite there. Denver’s star Nikola Jokic played all summer with the Serbian national team, but didn’t seem to be in top shape (for Jokic) entering the NBA season. Despite a deep well of talent, there was something amiss. Michael Malone blew up at the team a couple weeks into the season in that particularly sharp, Malonian way.
All Nikola Jokic does is toss daggers
We have that and more in Monday’s NBA newsletter.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Then this weekend happened.
On Friday, the Nuggets hosted the class of the East, the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a hard-fought game that had Denver coming back from 19 down for Jokic himself to hit a very weird, falling, long, two-point go-ahead bucket with less than two seconds left.
Joel Embiid got called for a touchy offensive foul when Jokic fell at the other end on the inbound alley-oop attempt, and that was the game.
On Sunday, the Nuggets were in Minnesota to face the Timberwolves. This time it was Denver blowing a big lead (16 in the fourth); the Nuggets needed overtime against the upstart Wolves. But there Jokic was again in the extra frame, hitting a go-ahead fall-away with 2.4 seconds left to give Denver the lead and the win.
Victory is the greatest salve, and winning heart-stopping victories like this on the soft touch of your superstar is an especially inspiring way to do it. Denver is now tied atop the Western Conference at 7-2 and, one imagine, feeling quite good about the first month of the season. What a good weekend can do for your spirits.
Scores
Sunday’s scores
Nuggets 100, Wolves 98 (OT)
Pacers 109, Magic 102
Hornets 106, Sixers 114
Bucks 121, Thunder 119
Cavaliers 108, Knicks 87
Nets 112, Suns 138
Hawks 113, Blazers 124 (OT)
Raptors 113, Lakers 104
Schedule
All times ET. Games on League Pass unless otherwise noted.
Timberwolves at Pistons, 7 p.m.
Mavericks at Celtics, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Grizzlies at Spurs, 7:30 p.m.
Rockets at Pelicans, 8 p.m.
Jazz at Warriors, 10:30 p.m.
Raptors at Clippers, 10:30 p.m., NBA TV
Links
Scary times. Dion Waiters reportedly suffered a panic attack on a team flight late last week after ingesting an edible. He’s apparently OK now. The Heat have suspended him 10 games. Waiters has said a teammate gave him the edible but he won’t say who. The NBA can test Waiters for probable cause, but he wouldn’t be suspended by the league if it’s a first or second offense on marijuana.
James Wiseman might be the No. 1 pick. He plays for Memphis. Well, maybe.
Gordon Hayward broke his hand. What the hell, man?
The Knicks had an atrocious Sunday loss to the visiting Cavaliers. So it’s especially weird and notable that the front office leaders, Scott Perry and Steve Mills, gave an impromptu postgame press conference deriding the state of things. The ice beneath Dave Fizdale is melting.
Very eye-opening win for the reigning NBA champion Raptors over the Lakers. We knew Pascal Siakam would have a strong season, and Fred VanVleet is game. But OG Anunoby, folks! Chris Boucher is graduating!
Be excellent to each other.
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