Joker isn't joking: 55 points in 33 minutes for Clippers' destruction

"Our gameplan was to make him score and just take away his passing... I didn't think he would score 55," said Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue after the game in which Nikola Jokic absolutely destroyed the LA crew in the Denver Nuggets' road win, 130-116.

Still, the 48-year-old has to be given credit, as his tactics worked perfectly. His men made the Serb score, and he obliged, pouring on 25 points just in the opening quarter!

In the end, as mentioned, he finished the game with 55 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, scoring more points than the Clippers' starting five combined (54)!

At the same time, Jokic became only the fourth player in NBA history to score 55 points with a shooting percentage over 78%, missing only five field goals and two free throws.

His primary helpers were Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray with 18 and 15 points respectively, while the best two in the Clippers' ranks were James Harden (23) and Jordan Miller (22).

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This way, Jokic continued a terrific campaign, as he recorded six triple-doubles in 11 games so far. Fifty-five points against the LA franchise was the third-best scoring performance in the 30-year-old center's career, as he was more efficient against the Minnesota Timberwolves (61 points) last April and the Washington Wizards (56 points) in December 2024.