Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid both had standout performances in Saturday’s NBA games. Jokic’s 25th triple-double of the season helped the Colorado Nuggets to a decisive 142-110 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, putting them first in the Western Conference and ensuring their playoff spot. Meanwhile, Embiid scored 30 points for the Philadelphia 76ers, bolstering their Eastern Conference playoff chances.
Nikola Jokic recorded his 25th triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets’ 142-110 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The win secured the Nuggets’ first place in what is shaping up to be a closely contested Western Conference playoff battle, and Jamal Murray also returned to form, scoring 16 points and dishing out six assists in 21 minutes.
Reggie Jackson, despite being plagued by a gastrointestinal bug, put on a spectacular performance for the Hawks, scoring 18 points off the bench.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone praised Murray and Jackson in statements published by nba.com, saying, “I have to give him [Jackson] a lot of credit because I didn’t think he was going to play.””Jamal’s return allows Reggie to rejoin the second unit.” (It’s) a more natural order of things for us, and it was nice to see Jamal Murray return. And I was thankful that I didn’t have to put him back in. He had a minute restriction, and I kept him well below that.”
Clint Capela led the Hawks in scoring with 19 points, but guard Bogdan Bogdanovic was gracious in loss, paying tribute to both Murray and Jokic.
“He’s an excellent player. “He and Jokic are the best duo in the league, and it’s difficult to guard them,” Bogdanovic stated. “When Jokic needs to find a guy to score, he’s got Murray and that’s basically it.”
The outcome puts the Nuggets in first position in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who face Denver in a tense matchup on Wednesday – a game that could decide who receives the division’s top seed.
