TEAM-SPECIFIC
BKN: Takeaways from Nets Bounce Back Win vs Thunder
Collin Helwig, Nets Daily
BOS: Jayson Tatum adapting and thriving in new role as Celtics’ offensive hub
Jack Simone, Celtics Blog
BOS: Celtics unconcerned about a drop in Jayson Tatum’s trips to the free-throw line
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
CLE: Craig Porter Jr. has been a revelation, and he looks to be just getting going with Cleveland
Dan Gilinsky, King James Gospel
DAL: Chauncey Billups calls Kyrie Irving 'One of Best Screeners in League'
Grant Afseth, Sports Illustrated
DEN: Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic’s durability amid historic shooting surge: “Pacing yourself is what losing teams do”
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
Entering Friday night’s matchup with the Magic, Jokic had shot 88.6% (39-of-44) in his last four games. It was the third-best field goal percentage by any player in any four-game span (minimum 40 attempts) since the introduction of the shot clock in 1954-55, according to NBA Stats. It was also the highest field goal percentage Jokic has ever had across four games, regardless of shot attempts. He followed it with another efficient 29-point night, bringing the five-game clip to 82.5%.
The last time a player had a more efficient four-game stretch was February 1967, when Wilt Chamberlain made 45 of 49 shots (91.8%). He also had a 91.5% four-game span earlier that season.
…after the Nuggets finished up their league-leading ninth back-to-back Friday, a visibly exhausted Jokic said he “definitely” feels like he has played more games than usual at this point in the season. He has played the second contest in eight of the back-to-backs. The ninth is the only Denver game he has missed all season.
When Malone was asked this week about how Jokic is pacing himself without much rest, the coach was emphatic in his viewpoint.
“I wouldn’t use the word ‘pace,'” Malone said. “I learned a long time ago, man: Everybody says, ‘Hey, the NBA season is a marathon.’ I’ve run marathons. And I’ve seen the guys that win marathons. They don’t pace themselves. They’re running sub-five-minute miles. So you can talk about, ‘Oh, it’s a marathon.’ Pacing yourself is what losing teams do.”
Jokic’s outstanding week also featured a handful of new candidates for his best assist of the season, most notably a punch pass to Peyton Watson for a corner 3-pointer.
Jokic is still making his own teammates’ jaws drop in awe of him. On the bench, Reggie Jackson watched Jokic whack the ball toward Watson and turned to DeAndre Jordan, stunned.
“I didn’t know he did it. I just saw the ball re-routed,” Jackson said. “While the ball was in the air, I was like, ‘Yo. Peyton has to hit this.'”