Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Inks richest deal in NBA history
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Jokic agreed Thursday to sign a five-year, $264 million supermax contract extension with the Nuggets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. The fifth year is a player option.
The deal is the richest in league history -- appropriate for the back-to-back MVP. Over the past two years, he's averaged 26.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.4 steals with shooting splits of 58/36/84. With Jokic's supermax secured, the Nuggets are practically locked into a core with him, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter and Aaron Gordon. There's no reason to think Jokic's role will change anytime soon, and he'll likely be the first pick in most fantasy drafts next season.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Named to All-NBA First Team
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Jokic was named to the All-NBA First Team on Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
This news is unsurprising given that Jokic earned his second consecutive MVP award this season. This marks his third First Team All-NBA selection, with him first earning the accolade in 2018-19. During this regular season, Jokic appeared in 74 games and averaged 27.1 points and 13.8 rebounds -- both career highs -- 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks. He also shot a career-high 58.3 percent from the field. During the five-game first-round series against the Warriors, he averaged 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Big effort in season-ending loss
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Jokic closed Wednesday's 102-98 loss to Golden State with 30 points (12-18 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 19 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and one steal in 32 minutes.
Jokic was once again brilliant for the Nuggets in Game 5, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists while notching his fourth double-double of the series. The big man was dominant on the boards early, corralling 10 rebounds in his first 11 minutes of action, then thrived as a scorer late, pouring in 12 points in the final 3:46 of the contest. He finished the series averaging 31.0 points, 13.2 boards and 5.8 assists, and should be among the preseason MVP favorites against next season.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Goes for 37, Nuggets avoid sweep
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Jokic amassed 37 points (14-21 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-6 FT), eight rebounds and six assists across 38 minutes during Sunday's 126-121 victory over the Warriors.
In Game 3 on Thursday, Jokic's 37 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and three steals weren't quite enough, but he was able to power Denver over the finish line Sunday to force a Game 5. The big man continues to be the most consistent superstar in fantasy basketball after cruising to his second consecutive No. 1 overall finish in most formats. Regardless of how the remainder of the postseason plays out for Denver, jokic will enter next season as the near-consensus top pick in fantasy.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Massive effort not enough
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Jokic totaled 37 points (14-22 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 7-9 FT), 18 rebounds, five assists and three steals over 38 minutes during Thursday's 118-113 loss to the Warriors.
Jokic delivered another impressive double-double and carried the Nuggets, but he can't do all the heavy lifting on his own, and the Nuggets once again fell short and are down 0-3 in the series. Despite the team's struggles, Jokic is having a strong series and is averaging 29.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game so far.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Picks up second technical, tossed
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Jokic was ejected from Game 2 of the first-round playoff series against the Warriors on Monday, Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 Sacramento reports. He finishes the night with 26 points (9-20 FG, 0-4 3PT, 8-8 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks in 28 minutes.
The game was already well in hand by the time Jokic picked up his second technical foul, as the Warriors did an excellent job of frustrating the reigning MVP. He'll need to return to his usual high level of play in Game 3 if Denver has any hope of turning this series around.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Posts double-double in playoff loss
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Jokic totaled 25 points (12-25 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block across 35 minutes during Saturday's 123-107 loss to Golden State in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Jokic unsurprisingly was the Nuggets' top performer in the contest, leading Denver in points and rebounds while tying for the team lead in assists. The big stat line wasn't enough to overcome a balanced Warriors effort, however, putting the Nuggets into an 0-1 series hole. Denver will likely need Jokic to be even more dominant moving forward to compete against a talented Golden State squad with title aspirations.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Will rest Sunday
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Jokic (wrist) will be held out of Sunday's game against the Lakers, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports reports.
As foreshadowed by his questionable status entering the day, Jokic will be one of several regulars who will not be available Sunday as the Nuggets finish out the regular season. The top player in fantasy basketball for the second year in a row will finish the 2021-22 season with averages of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers per game across 74 appearances.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Questionable for finale
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Jokic is questionable for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Lakers due to right wrist soreness.
Four of the five Nuggets' starters are questionable for the finale. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the injury report heading into Sunday's contest.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Achieves history in victory
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Jokic contributed 35 points (16-24 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 16 rebounds, six assists, four steals and one block across 35 minutes during Thursday's 122-109 victory over Memphis.
Jokic led all players in points, rebounds and steals in the win, and he accomplished history by becoming the first NBA player to ever record 2,000 points, 1,000 boards and 500 assists in a single season. That the reigning MVP has topped his production from last season -- when he averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 boards and 8.3 dimes -- is a testament to how dominant he has become on a nightly basis. Jokic is finishing the season with a flourish, racking up seven straight double-doubles and scoring at least 35 points six times over that span. He has also tallied multiple steals six times in the seven-game stretch.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Double-doubles despite loss
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Jokic posted 41 points (18-35 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 17 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 40 minutes during Tuesday's 116-97 loss to the Spurs.
Jokic putting up a monster double-double shouldn't surprise anyone at this point, though the fact that he needed 35 shots to score 41 points might be a bit surprising due to the impressive efficiency levels he's shown all year long. The MVP candidate is ending the season on a strong note with averages of 32.8 points, 13.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game over his last 10 games. Plus, he's also scored 35 or more points in five of his last six contests.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Continues to make MVP case
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Jokic finished with 38 points (15-22 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 8-11 FT), 18 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals in 33 minutes during Sunday's 129-118 victory over the Lakers.
The Nuggets were expected to excel against the LeBron James-less Lakers, and it was no surprise to see Jokic finish with a prolific total. Jokic will get his share of votes for the MVP title, especially after his recent string of games. He entered Sunday's game averaging 30 points, 12.7 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks over a 10-game span.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Unstoppable efficiency
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Jokic provided 37 points (15-19 FG, 7-8 FT), 13 rebounds, nine assists, one block and two steals over 36 minutes during Wednesday's 125-118 victory over Indiana.
Jokic shot over 75 percent from the field for the seventh time this season. Pairing Wednesday's dominance with a 13-for-15 shooting performance Saturday against the Thunder, Jokic is showing no signs of fatigue down the stretch. He's the top asset in fantasy and has good matchups upcoming against the Timberwolves and Lakers.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Third triple-double this month
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Jokic logged 26 points (9-17 FG, 8-12 FT), 19 rebounds, 11 assists and two steals over 35 minutes during Monday's 113-109 victory over the Hornets.
Jokic recorded his first triple-double since March 7 in a win over the Warriors, and in fact, the reigning MVP has recorded double-doubles or triple-doubles in all but two appearances during the current month. He's averaging 29.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists across 14 March contests.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Carries Nuggets to big win
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Jokic produced 35 points (13-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 12 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals over 35 minutes during Saturday's 113-107 win over the Thunder.
Jokic looked every bit like a deserving MVP candidate Saturday, as he led Denver in nearly every positive statistical category, including points, rebounds, assists and blocks. The All-Star center went an absurd 13-for-15 from the field and 9-for-10 from the charity stripe in one of his most efficient performances as a pro. Jokic didn't quite break his nine-game stretch without a triple-double, but he did log his league-leading 60th double-double of the campaign. That puts him 13 ahead of two players (Rudy Gobert and Jonas Valanciunas) with the second-most double-doubles on the season.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Posts 28/6/6 line Thursday
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Jokic closed with 28 points (9-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 9-11 FT), six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 32 minutes during Thursday's 140-130 loss to the Suns.
By Jokic's standards, this was a relatively modest performance, especially considering that the All-Star center turned the ball over eight times. Still, it's impressive that the big man managed a team-high 28 points on only 10 field-goal attempts and went an efficient 9-for-11 from the charity stripe. It's a rare occurrence when Jokic doesn't finish with a double-double -- he has registered 59 such performances in 67 games this season -- so his fantasy managers can expect his usual abundance of supplementary stats when the Nuggets take on Oklahoma City on Saturday.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Bounces back with huge total
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Jokic recorded 30 points (9-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 12-13 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals in 34 minutes during Tuesday's 127-115 victory over the Clippers.
After a poor shooting night in a loss against the Celtics, Jokic came roaring back in a big way against the Clippers. Jokic's 14 rebounds marked his highest total in three weeks, and he excelled on a night where several of his teammates also scored in double figures.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Impressive streak comes to end
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Jokic supplied 23 points (8-23 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Sunday's 124-104 loss to the Celtics.
Jokic ended two rebounds away from posting a double-double, and this game marked the first time since Jan. 23 in which he didn't record double digits in at least two categories -- a span that covered 24 games with 17 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles. He's averaging 29.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game across 10 contests in March.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Near triple-double not enough
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Jokic ended with 32 points (15-24 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists, one block and two steals in 37 minutes during Friday's 119-116 overtime loss to the Cavaliers.
Jokic finished with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the eighth time this season, but his stellar production was not enough as Denver fell to Cleveland in overtime. Across nine appearances in March, Jokic has averaged 30.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals in 34.0 minutes per game. He'll look to continue his dominant play Sunday against the Celtics.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Excellent again
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Jokic totaled 29 points (10-14 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 7-7 FT), 13 rebounds, eight asists, one block and two steals across 26 minutes during Wednesday's 127-109 win over the Wizards.
With Denver up 21 points at halftime and coasting to victory, Jokic was able to have a lessened workload -- playing less than 30 minutes for just the second time in his past 19 games. The lessened workload didn't lead to lessened production, however, as Jokic scored at will against a porous defense. Jokic has accumulated a staggering 18.6 wins above replacement this season. Jayson Tatum ranks second with WAR at 10.8.
