We never get bored this season with the Nuggets, and once again, Nikola Jokic's teammates won in the final seconds with a victory (121-119) in the form of a hold-up since the 2023 NBA champions were still trailing by 11 points with five minutes remaining.
It's again against the Raptors, and this time, they are saved by the circle which brought out RJ Barrett's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Author of a good defense, Russell Westbrook trembled when he saw the ball on the circle.
“Honestly, I was already running towards the locker room,” admits the All-Star point guard. “I did a good job contesting the shot and I even touched the ball. I didn't think he was going to come home. Then I turned around and saw it was at the edge of the circle… But it was a shot I wanted him to take. » Not very far, Mike Malone still can't believe it: “I still don’t know how the ball didn’t go in…”
Victories that strengthen the collective
Arms crossed, RJ Barrett is on the ground, while Russell Westbrook joins the locker room, haranguing the crowd. Taking over from Jamal Murray, blocked by the “concussion protocol”, he had a full match with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists on 6 out of 10 shots.
Alongside Nikola Jokic still in triple-double, “Brodie” this time perfectly supported the young shoots of Denver, made even more responsible after the injury exit of Aaron Gordon (calf). For the former Clippers leader, close matches are essential to move forward and progress.
“It’s very important because it shapes you as a team”he believes. “We've found ourselves in these situations a few times this year, and obviously we don't want to find ourselves in close games often. But it's good to see that we stick together when things get tense and adversity hits. We don't look around us. We are united. We hang on. »
