Famous person Nikola Jokic dominates Raptors in Denver win

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Stories of Nikola Jokic’s demise have been significantly exaggerated.

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The three-time NBA MVP had his manner with the Raptors in a dominant return to type and bought assist from quite a lot of Denver Nuggets teammates, together with Canadian star Jamal Murray, in a straightforward 128-109 win over the guests from Toronto within the Mile Excessive Metropolis on Wednesday.

Jokic completed with 32 factors, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 201st profession triple-double, powering the Nuggets to higher than 60% capturing in opposition to Toronto’s token defence. Murray, of Kitchener, had 14, together with seven assists.

Constantly throwing the ball away and failing to offer any resistance inside did within the Raptors, who have been enjoying for the third time in 4 days and regarded prefer it.

Main after two quarters, the Raptors, and star Scottie Barnes particularly, stored committing turnovers, permitting the Nuggets to realize growing confidence offensively and take management.

Barnes scored 17 factors, however had 5 turnovers. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 22.

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Denver entered a disappointing 3-3 with Jokic dealing with some uncommon criticism for enjoying beneath his traditional all-time nice stage. However he was in wonderful type on this one, dominating within the first quarter whereas almost compiling a triple-double within the first half alone. Jokic then matched Toronto’s 15 factors within the third quarter.

Issues have been truly fairly good for Toronto early. Immanuel Quickley was nice, enjoying certainly one of his finest stretches as a Raptor over the primary two quarters, however was as dangerous within the third as he was good over the prior two quarters. Barrett scored 17 factors within the half and Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles have been strong too as Toronto constructed a lead as massive as 10. Denver rallied to drag inside 67-64 within the entertaining, high-octane opening 24 minutes the place each groups shot 59%.

Together with his group coping with Denver’s altitude, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic went to his bench early and sometimes, retaining stints shorter.

The Raptors may have packed it in after a disastrous begin to the third quarter, however they fought again to make it a recreation earlier than drained legs appeared to meet up with them, permitting the Nuggets to go forward by 23 factors when Jokic completed off his triple-double with an offensive rebound and put-back to finish the body. The Nuggets outscored the Raptors 41-15 within the third.

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The Raptors, as soon as once more with out Kawhi Leonard, dropped again to .500.

A giant change

Toronto bought Jakob Poeltl again after he missed the 2 video games in Los Angeles. Considerably surprisingly although, given he’s the one true centre on the roster, Poeltl got here off the bench as a substitute of matching proper up with the big Jokic, with Murray-Boyles beginning for the second recreation in a row (Toronto had opted for Trayce Jackson-Davis because the beginning centre the primary recreation Poeltl missed). The sophomore massive man had been off to a little bit of a gradual begin, although his begin in opposition to the Clippers had been certainly one of his finest video games of the yr thus far.

Poeltl has been a starter when wholesome since being traded again to Toronto by San Antonio in 2022-23, beginning all however 4 of 184 video games, plus all seven within the playoffs in opposition to Cleveland, although Rajakovic has let Murray-Boyles begin the second half of some video games each within the playoffs and this yr when Poeltl had began the video games.

If Murray-Boyles stood a pair inches taller he could be the no-doubt starter already based mostly on the place each males are production-wise at this level, however Poeltl remains to be wanted for his measurement and screen-setting to absorb minutes in opposition to the NBA’s behemoths throughout an extended season.

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That stated, with Poeltl hurting greater than he’s serving to more often than not thus far even after recovering from final season’s again woes, it at all times felt like only a matter of time till Murray-Boyles changed him as a starter.

The Raptors opted for athleticism to throw at Jokic, hoping it could at the very least make him work onerous to get round them. Whoever Toronto threw on the league’s finest massive man didn’t a lot matter. Jokic had his manner with all of them.

Poeltl performed a quiet eight minutes within the first half, typically not even guarding Jokic, and returned to the sport late within the third.

Denver obliterated Toronto within the paint.

DeMar DeRozan, the person Poeltl who was initially traded with Poeltl for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, was a late scratch resulting from again spasms. That additional depleted a Nuggets group that has displayed poor depth. On Wednesday they bought sufficient from their stars Jokic and Murray, third former championship cog Aaron Gordon, plus Cameron Johnson and a pair of rookies.

Subsequent up:

The journey ends in Milwaukee in opposition to the now 1-7 Bucks who’re having fun with life with out Giannis Antetokounmpo about as a lot as they did when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left a long time in the past. The Raptors then host the stunning Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

@WolstatSun

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