This has been the incredible return of Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic returned to the Denver Nuggets rotation this Friday after more than a month of absence and did so with a standout performance in the 122-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Serbian center, out since December 29 due to a bone contusion in his left knee after hyperextension, scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his first game back.

Jokic, who had been listed as questionable before the game, showed positive signs from the start. He made 8 of his 11 field goal attempts, with 2 of 3 from three-point range, and went 13 of 17 from the free-throw line, in addition to dishing out five assists. After the game, he explained that he did not feel any fear while putting weight on his knee during the match, a crucial aspect to confirm his recovery.

The player is set to play in the Sunday game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Denver and remains eligible for end-of-season awards like MVP and All-NBA teams. Before the game against the Clippers, coach David Adelman cautioned about Jokic's return, pointing out that he had been out of competition for several weeks and that the process involves gradually regaining sensations.

The injury occurred in the first half of the game that Denver lost to the Miami Heat in December. Up to that point, Jokic was the fifth-leading scorer in the NBA with 29.6 points per game. Additionally, he leads the league in triple-doubles this season with 16 and is averaging career-best numbers both in assists (11.0) and three-point percentage (43%).

During the 16 games that Jokic missed, the most absences in a season in his career, the Nuggets posted a record of 10 wins and 6 losses. The player himself acknowledged that the break was a new experience for him, marked by uncertainty about what sensations he should be feeling during the recovery.

Jokic Looks Too Easy

Despite a minutes restriction imposed by the coaching staff, Jokic achieved his 29th double-double of the season. The 30-year-old Serbian was on the court for only 25 minutes, his second-lowest total of the season.

Denver faced the game still missing several key players, such as Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson, but welcomed Jamal Murray and Jonas Valanciunas back for the match. From the bench, Adelman noted that the team is moving in the right direction and positively assessed the gradual return of players after an extended period of absences.

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