DEN 137, POR 132: Jokić Sets Up Teammates: 13 Assists
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Jokic Does Jokic Things, Blazers Left Scrambling in 137-132 Loss
Listen, if you had Nikola Jokic in your lineup tonight, you already know what time it is. The reigning All-NBA first-teamer just put on a masterclass in orchestrating a five-point win that felt closer than the final score. 35 points, 14 boards, 13 assists. That's not just MVP-caliber stuff, that's "I'm the best player on the planet" stuff, and fantasy managers who rode with him got every bit of the 86.3 Yahoo FP he dropped.
Here's the table so you can see exactly who went off:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 91.0 | 86.3 | 35/14/13 | 28.0/12.9/10.9 | +7.0 |
| Deni Avdija | 41.0 | 43.3 | 26/4/7 | 24.0/7.0/6.7 | +2.0 |
| Jrue Holiday | 47.0 | 42.7 | 19/6/11 | 16.4/4.5/6.2 | +2.6 |
| Aaron Gordon | 47.0 | 41.3 | 23/9/5 | 16.5/5.9/2.6 | +6.5 |
| Toumani Camara | 49.0 | 38.0 | 30/5/0 | 13.4/5.2/2.4 | +16.6 |
| Donovan Clingan | 37.0 | 37.4 | 18/12/0 | 12.1/11.6/2.1 | +5.9 |
| Jamal Murray | 43.0 | 36.7 | 20/1/7 | 25.4/4.4/7.2 | -5.4 |
| Cameron Johnson | 36.0 | 32.7 | 17/6/7 | 12.1/3.8/2.5 | +4.9 |
| Matisse Thybulle | 42.0 | 32.7 | 14/1/3 | 6.0/2.1/1.0 | +8.0 |
| Scoot Henderson | 35.0 | 31.1 | 18/3/3 | 14.2/2.7/3.8 | +3.8 |
The Jokic Effect
What kills me is that Jokic didn't even shoot great. 15-31 from the field is solid but not his typical scorching pace. But he made up for it by running the offense through 13 assists on 43 minutes of work. This is the guy who's going to punish you for having bench depth on his nights because he's literally everywhere. He's playing at a "+7 points" clip above his season average, which tells you he's locked in late season.
The Nuggets won a close one, and Jokic willed them through it. That's the movie we're watching with him right now.
When Role Players Suddenly Remember How to Play
Aaron Gordon came to play with 41.3 Yahoo FP, and that "+6.5 vs season average" is real deal stuff. 23 points, 9 rebounds, four threes in just 31 minutes. This is the Gordon that makes the Nuggets tick, not the guy who's been floating around at 16.5 PPG lately. He was efficient as hell too, 8-14 shooting with four makes from deep. If you own him, you're seeing what he can do when he's aggressive.
Same energy with Cameron Johnson, who dropped 32.7 Yahoo FP and actually beat his season average at basically every stat line. The Nuggets' role players stepped up when it mattered.
The Trail Blazers Collapse Nobody Saw Coming
Here's where it gets spicy. Toumani Camara had the best game of his life, 30 points on 10-16 shooting with eight threes. That's "+16.6 vs his season average," and I need to be real with you: this is probably not sustainable. Camara is averaging 13.4 PPG and suddenly he's dropping 30 in a losing effort. That's the kind of performance that gets you added off waivers, but pump the brakes before you trade your depth for him. This was a hot night, not a breakout.
Deni Avdija hit 43.3 Yahoo FP and stayed close to his season average, which is what you want from your All-NBA adjacent wing. He went 13-14 from the free throw line, which is insane volume, but that's partly because the Nuggets' defense was keying on other guys.
The real problem? Jamal Murray completely disappeared. 36.7 Yahoo FP is not cutting it when your team is chasing. The All-NBA second-teamer scored just 20 points on 7-15 shooting and that "-5.4 vs season average" is the smell of a guy who got cold at the wrong time. Murray has been up and down lately, and tonight was a down night.
The Stray Observation
Matisse Thybulle dropped 32.7 Yahoo FP with five steals and four threes off the bench. That "+8.0 vs average" is nice for your wire pickups, but again, context matters. Portland was fighting for their life and Thybulle got opportunity. He's not suddenly a 32 FP guy every night.
The Bottom Line
Jokic is still Jokic. Don't sell. Don't second-guess him. Role players had big games in a close win, which is what happens when your best player drags you across the finish line. If you picked up Toumani Camara off this game, cool, but temper expectations. If you watched Murray underperform, that's one game in a long season.
Denver survived. Portland didn't. That's the whole story.