Jokic's 55-point game pays off with rare win for Nuggets on one of his prolific scoring nights

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Nikola Jokic scoring 50 oregon much points had ne'er been capable for the Denver Nuggets to win. Until now.

Jokic tied the highest-scoring show successful the NBA this season with 55 points, and the Nuggets bushed the Los Angeles Clippers 130-116 connected Wednesday nighttime for their sixth consecutive victory.

The Nuggets were 0-4 successful his erstwhile 50-point outbursts.

“It’s a bully feeling,” the three-time NBA MVP said.

He equaled Oklahoma City prima Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 55 successful a double-overtime crippled astatine Indiana connected Oct. 23.

Jokic has been connected a rotation during Denver's winning streak. He's the archetypal subordinate successful NBA past to mean a 35-point triple-double portion shooting 60% oregon amended crossed a six-game stretch.

He's averaging 35.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists portion shooting 73.9% from the tract and 55.6% from 3-point range.

Opposing defenses person thrown everything astatine him successful a fruitless effort to dilatory down the 7-foot Serbian.

“I deliberation I saw everything,” helium said, “but I deliberation it's hard. We are truly moving a batch of plays for me, each benignant of antithetic plays."

Playing connected the 2nd nighttime of a back-to-back, Jokic scored 25 of Denver’s 39 points successful the archetypal quarter.

“I didn’t unfastened the crippled truly good,” helium said. “I deliberation I missed similar two, 3 layups, and aft that I felt good.”

Last season, Jokic played good connected the backmost extremity of consecutive games, too. His regular connected 24 hours' remainder includes a daytime nap successful betwixt eating things similar avocado, eggs, oatmeal and toast.

“The mode helium played contiguous is however helium works retired erstwhile nary 1 is watching,” manager David Adelman said. “He prepares each time for situations similar this.”

Jokic had 8 points successful the 2nd 4th earlier coming backmost with 19 successful the third, including 2 idiosyncratic runs of six consecutive points.

“The guys, particularly successful the 4th quarter, they’re giving maine the ball,” helium said. “I conscionable support shooting it.”

Jokic sat retired the 4th until coming backmost with astir six minutes remaining. He scored 3 points to implicit his nighttime going 18 for 23 from the field. He missed adding to his league-leading six triple-doubles with six assists. He was 5 of 6 connected 3-pointers and made 14 of 16 escaped throws.

“He was extraordinary,” Adelson said. “That’s 1 of those performances you won’t forget.”

The Nuggets led by 16 points going into the 4th and extended their vantage to 22 points aboriginal on.

Adelman said determination was “zero disrespect” to the Clippers successful deciding to enactment Jokic backmost in.

“They started to property america and he’s 1 of our champion ballhandlers, he’s a feline that tin bleed the clock, he’s 1 of the champion players alive,” the manager said. “It would beryllium anserine for maine not to enactment my champion players backmost successful to marque definite we triumph the game.”

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