Is Nikola Jokic playing tonight against LA Clippers? Latest on 2x MVP's availability on second night of back-to-back (Nov. 27)
The Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs game featured the much-anticipated matchup between Nikola Jokic and top rookie pick Victor Wembanyama. A day after, the Nuggets will be traveling to the Crypto.com Arena on November 27 at exactly 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
During the last game, the Serbian center was able to tally another near-triple double night with 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, but Nikola Jokic is ruled out against Clippers today.
In back-to-back games, some players may need more time to recover before going to another match. The Denver Nuggets listed Aaron Gordon as 'questionable' to play and he will be a game-time decision.
Jamal Murray is only a week away from returning to action while there is still no timeline on when Vlatko Cancar will recover from his knee injury.
Mike Malone needs bench players to help Nikola Jokic on road games
In 17 games this season, the Denver Nuggets were able to win 11 games and lose six. Out of the six losses, five games came from the road. This was something that Mike Malone hopes to address if they want to have a more competitive season.
"Last year we only had 19 road wins, and that was a point of emphasis going into this year,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "We have to find a way to be more competitive on the road, and it starts with our defense.”
Prior to the matchup between Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, the team was on a five-game road trip and lost four of them.
The Nuggets is still without Jamal Murray and the team has been relying much on Jokic to carry the team. Malone understands that their bench is young but they need to step up, especially in games on the road.
"That's the challenge when you have so many young, unproven players off the bench," said Malone after their loss against the Rockets. "But we also have games to win, and that delicate balance is a tightrope. But we need to win, and I'm going to play the guys that are going to help us get a win."
After this game against the Clippers, the Nuggets will get a chance to host the Rockets on November 29 at the Ball Arena located in the Colorado mountains.