Nikola Jokic and Nuggets Survive Jusuf Nurkic’s Outburst – 3 Takeaways as Suns Suffer Heartbreak on Kevin Durant’s Historic Night

The injury worries continue to plague the Phoenix Suns‘ progress in the season. The franchise superstar Devin Booker once again was unavailable for selection due to an ankle injury. The star point guard’s absence did affect the team on the Friday night game against the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic and his men weathered the Jusuf Nurkic storm with an all-round team performance. Despite the loss, the Suns had something to cherish as Kevin Durant found a place in the history books.

Let’s find out three key takeaways from the game.

1. Nikola Jokic gets outplayed by Jusuf Nurkic

The towering 6 ’11 Bosnian star Jusuf Nurkic found his worthy opponent in Nikola Jokic and his men on Saturday. Taking on his former side, Nurkic led the Suns’ offense ahead of Kevin Durant, dropping 31 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. In the process, the 29-year-old star was seen going shoulder-to-shoulder against Joker near the paint.

Moreover, this performance came days after KD rested his faith in him. In a recent press conference, Durant said, “When he’s hitting 3s, the team goes to another level,” and further insisted that he should play more minutes. Notably, Nurkic played 33 minutes on the court while his average is 27 minutes per game.

2. Reggie Jackson was hiding in Jamal Murray’s shadows all this while.

Nuggets star Jamal Murray took the NBA world by storm in his comeback season after a career-altering injury. In fact, the 26-year-old’s partnership with the Joker fueled the franchise’s first-ever title. However, the star again suffered an ankle injury and only played 8 games so far. While it was expected to affect the team’s game, contrarily another wingman was born. In other terms, fell on the lime light. So far in the season, he has averaged 13.2 points, shooting at 50%. He also contributed 20 points with 4 assists against the Suns.

3. Despite a sluggish game, Kevin Durant shines bright on a historic night.

While it was Nuggets’ night all over, Kevin Durant also had a special outing as he secured a personal milestone. The superstar entered the top-10 list for all-time scoring leaders pushing down legend Moses Malone to 11th spot. In the last two months alone, KD surpasses three legends namely, Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes and Malone. Moreover, he is all set to beat Carmelo Anthony in the games to come.

Read More – Despite Constant ‘Super Teams’ Criticism, Kevin Durant Receives Love From Ex-All-Star Teammate: “He’s So Good That Both Players Go With Him”

Despite climbing up the ladder and stamping his name in the history books, KD didn’t have easy night on the court. The superstar dropped 30 points with 11 assists but wasn’t really making the swishes. He was shooting at 32% with 8-25 field goal. The Suns next take on the Grizzlies and would look to get back to their winning ways.

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What do you make of Jusuf Nurkic’s points explosion in the recent games? Let us know in the comments below.