Breaking out of a mini-slump, Nikola is reasserting himself as the centerpiece of the Denver Nuggets’ offense.

Jokic had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season, leading the Nuggets past the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-102 on Saturday night.

Jokic now has 32 regular-season triple-doubles to tie Rajon Rondo for 11th on the career list. The stat line signaled his return to form after a series of off-target shooting performances and sluggish ball movement that bogged down the Nuggets’ attack over the last two weeks.

„He’s definitely well past rounding back into form,“ Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. „For Nikola, getting past those struggles that everybody goes through, it’s just handling that adversity, staying with it and finding a way to stay aggressive, knowing that’s the only way you’re going to right the ship.“

Jokic was effective from the perimeter and the low post, hitting three 3-pointers and muscling in a pair of dunks. When the defense collapsed on him, he was dishing off to the open man and figuring prominently in all five Denver starters scoring in double figures. Will Barton had 18 points and Jamal Murray scored 14 as the Nuggets beat the Thunder for a seventh straight time.

„When (Jokic) is aggressive, it just opens up everything for everybody else,“ said Gary Harris, who finished with 11 points. „We were all clicking today. He was able to get assists, rebounds, points. He was able to do whatever he wanted.“

Said Jokic: „I’ve been playing like that my whole life, so it kind feels like I’m playing the way I’m supposed to play.“

28/14/12 – Četvrti u sezoni.

ESPN