NBA Bubble Update: Nikola Jokic's first practice, OKC's Danilo Gallinari feeling confident
Denver Nuggets big man, Nikola Jokic has finally arrived on the scene. The Serbian superstar, who had earlier tested positive for the coronavirus, has finally been cleared to rejoin the team for practice in the NBA bubble, Disney World. Jokic seemed to hit his stride almost immediately in practice.
During practice, he had some excellent plays with fellow Nuggets' star Jamal Murray, as seen in the footage below that was shared by the Denver Nuggets.
The entire team seemed to be galvanized by the return of their leader. Coach Mike Malone was also seen running laps up and down the court with the team in their recent practice inside the NBA bubble.
The Nuggets are a team that usually relies on their home court advantage given the high altitude in Denver, Colorado. This time they will have to solely rely on their team's superstars to get it done in the NBA bubble.
The Denver Nuggets start their season against the Miami Heat on August 1st.
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OKC confident about their chances as the season restarts in the NBA Bubble
With Paul George leaving for the LA Clippers and Russell Westbrook being traded to the Houston Rockets, expectations from the Oklahoma City Thunder were very low.
However, with veteran Chris Paul leading the way alongside Steven Adams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and Dennis Schröder, the Thunder have had a breakout season. They are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference and only 2.5 games away from the third seed.
As they head into the restart in the NBA bubble, the Thunder are confident about their chances to win it all. Gallinari had this to say after practice today as reported by Nick Gallo:
"we are hungry. We want to get to work. We're here for basketball and also for many, many other reasons that of course everybody knows. So we have a lot of goals, being here. Every time we step on the court and we know that we have those three hours in the gym, we just want to get better. We love playing with each other spending time with each other in the gym."
While many do not consider this team to be a major threat in the playoffs, the Thunder have shown that are capable of defeating the top teams in the league. They are a team that could upset the top seeds in the playoffs.
Look out for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they restart their season against the Utah Jazz on August 1st.
Philadelphia 76ers' Al Horford and Shake Milton enjoy day off golfing in the NBA bubble
Philadelphia 76ers stars Al Horford, Josh Richardson, and new point guard Shake Milton had some fun golfing during their day off in the NBA bubble. They were also joined by rookie Matisse Thybulle.
Teams have been taking to golfing and fishing to pass the time during their days off. Some players prefer to stay indoors and play video games. Most players seem to be quickly adjusting to life in the NBA bubble.
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