Another milestone for the Joker!
Of course, with his MVP-caliber season, Nikola Jokic emerges as an NBA all-star again. But, what’s interesting is that he surpasses Carmelo Anthony for the most all-star appearances in the Denver Nuggets franchise history. With his fifth All-Star selection, he solidified himself as being second only to Alex English’s incredible 8 appearances from the team.
Announced on TNT and set for Salt Lake City later this month, it will be Nikola’s third year in a row getting to start with some of the best players in the NBA.
More About 2023 All-Star
The prospect of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game is already creating a stir, as the starters have been announced. These are decided in an interesting way – by combining 50% fan vote, 25% media, and 25% players for each conference. The Joker will join the following as starters from the West:
- LA Lakers forward LeBron James;
- NO Pelicans forward Zion Williamson;
- GS Warriors guard Stephen Curry; and
- DAL Mavericks guard Luka Doncic
James will be one of the game’s captains and will make his team selection live on television just before tip-off – this coming off of him receiving the most fan votes among Western Conference players.
Meanwhile, Starters from the east include:
- Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (another all-star team captain)
- BOS Celtics forward Jayson Tatum;
- BKN Nets forward Kevin Durant;
- BKN Nets guard Kyrie Irving; and
- CLE Cavaliers guard, Donovan Mitchell.
The 72nd NBA All-Star Game will happen on February 18, 8 p.m. ET (TNT).
Denver Nuggets Update
After winning nine in a row, the Nuggets have lost three of their last four games. This started when OKC guard, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, stunned them with an 8-foot jumper and secure the 101-99 win.
They barely beat the Pelicans without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, 99-98. The Joker racks up 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists to mark his 15th triple-double of the season. The most exciting moment of the game came late when Jokic drove into the paint and hit a floater with 16.9 seconds left to put Denver in front.
They lost the next two after that, against the Eastern conference powerhouses, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite the recent struggle, Denver is still on top of the Western Conference with a 34-16 record. They boast a 22-4 record at home but struggling on the road. 12-12. The Joker is filling up the stat sheet every game as he leads the team in points (25.1), rebounds (10.9), assists (9.9), and even steals (1.4). All of these while shooting 62.9% from the field, 37.8% from beyond the arc, and 81.8% from the charity line.
The Joker’s generational talent is definitely in full display this season, and it is manifesting on betting. The Nuggets are +800 to win the NBA Championship, while they are the favorites to win the Western Conference with +350 (according to DraftKings Sportsbook).
