It wasn’t easy, but Nikola Jokic made it look like it anyway.
Behind Jokic’s 20th triple-double of the season (a new franchise record), the Nuggets handled the feisty Hornets, 119-105, on Saturday evening. Down starters Jamal Murray (knee) and Aaron Gordon (rib), Jokic seized the game and erupted for 30 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Nuggets improved to 39-18, with a chance to win the road trip Monday in Miami.
A sluggish start, which saw the Nuggets trail by 15 in the first half, was erased once the defense locked in, and Denver started hammering the paint.