WASHINGTON — Nikola Jokic scored a career-high 56 factors and had little to have a good time afterward.
It occurred in a loss — to a crew that hadn’t gained since October.
“I feel at the moment and the final couple video games had been actually unhealthy for us,” Jokic mentioned. “We are actually going within the flawed path. I feel it is everyone’s fault.”
If Jokic had any pleasure over an astounding stat line that additionally included 16 rebounds and eight assists, he did not present it. His efforts had been wasted in a 122-113 loss Saturday night time to a Washington crew that had misplaced 16 video games in a row.
Denver (11-10) hasn’t gained back-to-back video games in almost a month, and now the Nuggets have misplaced two in a row. If the season ended now, they’d be a play-in crew.
No surprise Jokic supplied a very drastic answer afterward.
“In my nation, the place I’m coming from, after this type of stretch, you are going to get paycheck that may be a little bit lower than you had hoped,” the Serbian star mentioned, drawing amusing. “Maybe that is what we have to do. Maybe a bit motivation.”
The Nuggets weren’t at full power Saturday, with Jamal Murray (hamstring), Aaron Gordon (calf) and Dario Saric (ankle) out with accidents. Jokic ended up trying 38 photographs from the sphere — additionally a profession excessive — as he tried to hold Denver to a win.
“I used to be forcing on the finish,” he mentioned.
His earlier profession excessive in scoring was 50 — additionally in a loss, at Sacramento on Feb. 6, 2021. Jokic scored 23 factors — on 20 photographs — within the third quarter towards the Wizards as Denver reduce a 12-point halftime deficit to 6.
Then he took a relaxation and Washington pushed the lead again into double digits. The Wizards outscored Denver by eight when Jokic was out and by one when he was within the sport.
“We have numerous points, primarily on the defensive finish of the ground,” coach Mike Malone mentioned.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 39 factors, together with 9 3-pointers, however the Wizards additionally had stability that Denver lacked. Justin Champagnie scored a career-high 23 and Jonas Valanciunas banged with Jokic inside and completed with 20 factors.
Malone put the blame on himself.
“I’m doing a very poor job with this crew,” he mentioned. “For us to be 11-10 at this level and dropping to a crew that final 5 video games is averaging 100 factors a sport and so they put up 122 on us — I’m embarrassed by that.”
