Oh, to win a game in your rival’s territory! The Denver Nuggets had to prove their point. Losing to the LA Lakers by 23 points on Saturday left a dent in their 9-game winning streak. They had to bounce back, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse became the perfect playground for Nikola Jokic and Co. to get on the winning track again. Thus clinching a 116-125 victory against the home team, the Indiana Pacers. Moreover, it was a historic night for the Serbian 6’11” center, as he added another feather to his glorious NBA career.

At the same time, Joker knows the game wasn’t a perfect one for the Nuggets. On a night where Jokic bagged a career-high 19 assists, and an almost triple-double, he has a strong demand from his locker room. Well, Jamal Murray took the initiative of talking about their loss vs. the Lakers not too long ago. And now it looks like Nikola is also following his teammate’s path. Why shouldn’t he? The past mistakes are repeating, so we must do something.

Like Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic also speaks up about the Nuggets’ setbacks in Lakers game

Let’s start from the start. The Los Angeles Lakers took a 123-100 win against the Nuggets on Saturday. Luka Doncic played a 32-point game, while Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves scored 20-plus points. Surprisingly, the Lakers committed only 8 turnovers, while Nikola Jokic and his team had 20. Yet, the 2023 NBA champs succumbed to the mighty defensive force their rivals brought to the court.

Thus speaking to the media after a blowout loss, Jamal Murray complimented Doncic and Co. for playing with confidence and shooting the ball really well. He noted: “Throughout the course of the game to me there other guys that just kept them up by 20 or 10 or whatever it was, and that made it difficult and we weren’t able to get a stop…That was the biggest…. we turned it over, and couldn’t get a stop. ’m going to try. Just a pile-up of things that didn’t go our way tonight, and we didn’t adjust, which is another big thing. We didn’t adjust, or have any diversity. What we were doing. So, that um, that was also another one.”

Now, coming back to Indianapolis, Nikola Jokic noticed a pattern in their game on Monday. To be fair, the Pacers with their 17 turnovers kept the Nuggets humble throughout the game. But the biggest twist in the plot comes in the assists where the guest team had 39 compared to the home team’s 29. There were still some liveable turnovers that kind of allowed Indiana to stay in the game, and that had its side effects. “Of course, we had a couple of bad passes. It happens, you know. It happens,” Nikola Jokic told the media after the game. “I think usually we are passing the ball a lot, so we’re going to make a mistake. But usually, we don’t have so many turnovers.”

“We have a lot more assists. But it happened the night we were in Dallas, not in Dallas, Lakers. Where they really were jumping us, playing passing lanes,” the 29-year-old 3x MVP noted. Besides, the game the Nuggets played vs. the Lakers on Saturday was a major comeback for the latter. With the Lakers succumbing to defeat at the hands of the Nuggets eight times in the last two seasons, including five playoff losses in Denver, anticipation for a victorious moment among Lakers faithful had reached a crescendo.

Surely, the Purple and Gold’s defensive power turned the table for them, leaving Michael Malone and his boys scratching their heads. What can they do to make things better and maintain a winning streak in the league? The Denver Nuggets are back in the contenders’ race as the West’s second seed. They’re a threat to teams like the Thunder, Celtics, and Cavs. The issue? It’s not their will to win. It’s the lack of effort—too visible, too often.

Thus, Nikola Jokic, the biggest star of the franchise, has a humble request, or rather a strong demand for his teammates. And this is something that the locker room must not ignore if they truly want to win the NBA this season. Because the Larry O’Brien suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched after all!

The Joker makes a strong demand from the Denver Nuggets locker room

The media wanted to know the Joker’s thoughts on contribution. How important is it for the entire team’s involvement in a game? Therefore, they asked the 29-year-old: “You mentioned everyone contributing. What does it say about this team that you had different guys step up at different times to get this one?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jokic responded: “Like I said it’s that kind of night, you know. Some nights, every night can be. Every player can score but we just need to have the same effort. Running-wise, rebounding-wise. Playing defense-wise. And I think scoring is something that we, I think we’re capable of doing it.” Simply put, the night in Indianapolis was one of victory and joy. But all nights aren’t going to be this way. Thus, players’ efforts and contributions would become crucial in tough games. For example, the one they played against the Lakers exposed their flaws, the lack of coordination, and the slump in efforts were visible.

Thus, not just from a teamwork perspective, individual contributions are going to matter in the long run as the postseason creeps in with every passing day. From rebounding to playmaking, from spreading the court to turnovers, everything counts. And it’s time for the Denver Nuggets to step up.

Nikola Jokic’s message is clear: Do not repeat the mistakes and keep adding to the team. He’s not asking for magic—just effort. The Nuggets can score, no doubt. But without hustle on defense and smarter plays, wins won’t come easy. The Lakers exposed their flaws, and Jokic won’t let it slide. If Denver wants another championship, every player must step up. No excuses. No repeats.