The Denver Nuggets used a second-half defensive resurgence to come back and defeat the L.A. Clippers 111-91 Thursday. The win took Denver to 2-0 in the preseason and saw Nikola Jokić make his season debut. However, it was the second unit that stole the show for the Nuggets in Los Angeles, as every player off the bench had a positive plus-minus in the win

Nikola Jokić makes preseason debut

After a summer spent playing in the FIBA World Cup, Nuggets head coach has decided to strategically rest Jokić throughout the preseason. The Serbian big man made his 2019-20 preseason debut Thursday and finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 22 minutes of action.

Denver’s offense will continue to flow through the All-NBA First Team center, while Jokić’s presence on the boards was a welcome sight for Malone. Moving forward, the focus will be on getting Jokić enough playing time with his new teammates while also ensuring that he is in game-condition for the grueling grind of an 82-game regular season.

ESPN