"Joker not hitting that shot on Superman": Dwight Howard hints that Warriors should sign him after Nikola Jokic obliterates them
Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic crushed the Golden State Warriors’ hopes of pulling off an upset on Thursday. The two-time MVP drilled a contested 40-foot, buzzer-beating bank shot to secure a 130-127 victory. However, according to eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard, the shot could have been prevented if he were on the Warriors.
Golden State big man Kevon Looney was able to get a hand up to contest Jokic’s game-winner. However, standing at 6-foot-9, Looney didn’t have the size to get a piece of the 6-foot-11 center’s shot.
After the game, Howard took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his thoughts on Jokic’s buzzer-beater. While he was impressed with the shot, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year thinks it would have been a different story if he was defending him.
“Joker not hitting that shot on Superman. Good shot, though,” Howard tweeted.
Howard, 38, last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season with the LA Lakers. He averaged just 6.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game on 61.2% shooting in 16.2 minutes per game over 60 games. However, throughout most of his 18-year career, he was widely regarded as one of the league’s premier interior defenders.
During his time away from the NBA, Howard has kept in shape playing overseas, including in Taiwan. On Tuesday, he signed with Strong Group Philippines to join the team during the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship later this month.
It remains to be seen if Howard will make an NBA comeback. He received a workout with the Warriors during the preseason, but they ultimately opted not to sign him. However, it’s clear that the big man still believes that he could help an NBA team.
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Nikola Jokic leads Nuggets to 11th win in 13 games
Thursday’s win over the Warriors marked the Nuggets’ 11th in their last 13 games. They trailed by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter before rallying for a comeback.
On top of hitting the game-winner, Nikola Jokic recorded a game-high 34 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two 3-pointers on 81.3% shooting.
In addition to having won 11 of 13 games, the Nuggets have won six straight road games. On the flip side, the Warriors have lost four of their last five games.
Denver (25-11) will look to maintain its success when it hosts the Orlando Magic (19-15) on Friday.
Meanwhile, Golden State (16-18) will look to get back on track when it hosts the league-worst Detroit Pistons (3-31) on Friday.
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