<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-game-intriguing-rudy-gobert-breakdown');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic’s game draws intriguing Rudy Gobert breakdown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nuggets-All-Star-Nikola-Jokic-Timberwolves-Rudy-Gobert.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic’s game draws intriguing Rudy Gobert breakdown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T11:20:49-07:00">September 13th, 11:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T11:20:49-07:00">September 13th, 11:20am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert reflected on Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic and why the three-time MVP is one of the NBA’s best players. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-drops-truth-bomb-early-nikola-jokic-doubts">Michael Porter Jr. revealed how Jokic’s growth impressed him</a> throughout his time with the Nuggets. Then, Gobert discussed what makes Nikola such an elite player.</p><p>Gobert says Jokic’s basketball IQ is <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1966905746416865483" rel="noopener">what separates him from the rest</a> of the NBA’s best, via The Young Man and The Three.</p><p>“The way his brain works, the way he’s able to adapt to situations and most of the time make the right play,” Gobert said. “And doing it while tired, doing it while playing a lot of minutes. That’s what makes him unique. Also, he’s very big. Very tall. Has an amazing touch. But I think the way his brain works — it’s very unique.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"The way his brain works, the way he's able to adapt to situations and most of the time make the right play."</p><p>Rudy Gobert on what makes Nikola Jokic unique 🙌</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/OldManAndThree?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OldManAndThree</a>)<a href="https://t.co/lmIpEYcfJ3">pic.twitter.com/lmIpEYcfJ3</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1966905746416865483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Jokic averaged 29.6 points on 57.6% shooting, including 41.7% from deep, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. After earning his third MVP award in 2023-24, Jokic finished as runner-up to Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.</p><h2><b>Michael Porter Jr. on first impressions of Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nuggets-All-Star-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Before former Nuggets teammate Michael Porter Jr. shared his initial impressions of Nikola Jokic, Warriors veteran <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-declares-nikola-jokic-toughest-guard-okc-kd">Draymond Green called Jokic one of the toughest</a> players he’s had to defend in the NBA. Porter Jr., who spent the first seven years of his career with the Nuggets, talked about playing alongside Nikola for the first time.</p><p>Porter Jr. revealed how Jokic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwvEsPGTN4A&amp;t=958s" rel="noopener">impressed him</a> throughout his Nuggets tenure, per Glory Daze with Johnny Manziel.</p><p>“I really didn’t see it at first. Like, even when we went into training camp, I remember asking my teammates, I was like, ‘Wait, so this dude is really that nice?’ Like everybody keeps telling me, he’s that cold,” Porter Jr. said. “But in training camp, he and Mason Plumlee were kind of going head to head. And they were like, ‘No, Mike, wait till the real games come, you’re going to see this dude’s a problem. ‘He could score 50 every single night if he wanted to.’</p><p>“But, I didn’t see it at first, but I quickly found out that he is him and he is the best player in the world,” Porter Jr. concluded.</p><p>After pushing the Thunder to the brink of elimination in their Western Conference semifinal series, Jokic and the Nuggets will look to build off last year’s run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic’s game draws intriguing Rudy Gobert breakdown

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-denver-contract-ex-mavericks-center');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets agree to contract with ex-Mavericks center');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1836.jpeg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nuggets agree to contract with ex-Mavericks center</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T16:42:30-07:00">September 12th, 4:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T16:42:30-07:00">September 12th, 4:42pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Looking to get back to championship contender status, the Denver Nuggets have had a strong offseason. The Nuggets made several moves to add impact players to their roster including the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-jonas-valanciunas-fully-commits-denver-amid-panathinaikos-rumors">trades for Jonas Valanciunas</a> and Cam Johnson and the free agent signings of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. The Nuggets made a late offseason roster move this week <a href="https://x.com/MikeAScotto/status/1966630923719307482" rel="noopener">with the signing of</a> big man Moses Brown, as per Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.com.</p><p>The signing of Moses Brown brings the Nuggets current roster to 16 players. While details of the contract were not immediately available, it’s likely Brown signed a training camp deal and will be given an opportunity to make the final regular season roster. If it is a camp deal, Brown will likely have competition for the 15th roster spot from NBA veteran <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-kessler-edwards-recent-mavericks-forward-denver-deal">Kessler Edwards whom the Nuggets also signed</a> to a camp deal last month.</p><p>After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, Brown has played for several NBA teams and will be heading into his seventh year of league experience. He split time between the Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks last season.</p><p>With the Mavericks, Brown appeared in four games, including two starts, and put up the best numbers of his career. During that stretch he averaged a career-high 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals with splits of 72.4 percent shooting from the field and 83.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>In addition to the Pacers and Mavericks, Brown has also played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Brown was on a 10-day contract with the Mavericks last season, and the team did not re-sign him following the expiration of the deal. He spent the majority of the 2024-25 season in the G League playing for the Westchester Knicks. He also suited up in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas for the Houston Rockets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets agree to contract with ex-Mavericks center

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sports-business/aaron-gordon-is-building-his-brand-with-the-help-of-garrett-augustus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Aaron Gordon is building his brand with the help of Garrett Augustus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Garrett-Augustus_16x9.png"></figure><h1>Aaron Gordon is building his brand with the help of Garrett Augustus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T09:01:40-07:00">September 10th, 9:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T09:01:40-07:00">September 10th, 9:01am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Aaron Gordon has risen to fame in the NBA because of his hard work and immense basketball talent. The NBA champion power forward for the Denver Nuggets is one of the best dunkers of all time, and his highlight reel of posters can be put up against anybody, including other greats such as Vince Carter, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The affinity for soaring through the sky and slamming thunderous dunks has led to him becoming a fan favorite, both for Nuggets fans and fans around the league.</p><p>Gordon doesn’t seem to have any haters, but thriving on the hardwood is only half of the battle when it comes to being loved by the basketball masses. Social media is more important and prevalent than ever before, and that includes athletes. Building a brand and a following is a huge part of basketball these days. After all, NBA players are true celebrities, so being marketable is nearly as important as knocking down jump shots for some players.</p><p>As Gordon has become more and more famous, continuing to build his brand has become even more important. That’s where Garrett Augustus’ assistance comes in.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><h2><b>Garrett Augustus is a key part of Aaron Gordon’s team</b></h2><p>Augustus is a full-time photographer and videographer who assists Gordon with his brand. The Denver, Colo. resident is a self-proclaimed “simple mountain boy who likes to capture stuff on camera.” Augustus has made quite the name for himself since pursuing his dream of being behind the lens.</p><p>Augustus didn’t pursue this dream until he was 28 years old and had just one camera. His initial in to the business was Chris Camozzi, a former UFC fighter who Augustus trained MMA with when he was younger. Camozzi, who had a professional record of 24-13, now competes in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The fighter married to Whitney Johns is the current cruiserweight world champion in the promotion. For the couple, Augustus helped build their social media brand. Johns now has a million Instagram followers.</p><p>Reconnecting with Camozzi led to some great networking opportunities, especially in the world of sports. Augustus would build relationships with Grant Neal and Nate Diaz, the latter of whom is famous for beating Conor McGregor, one of the most important fighters in MMA history.</p><p>Augustus’ joyful personality and obvious ability with a camera led to him forming a relationship with former Nuggets player Justin Holiday. The guard/wing, who last played for Virtus Bologna this year, introduced Augustus to Gordon at the latter’s personal warehouse gym. From there, Augustus and Gordon formed a media-athlete duo that competes with anybody across the NBA.</p><h2><b>What does Garrett Augustus do for Aaron Gordon?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/771508933-aaron-gordon-nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Gordon and Augustus built instant chemistry. The photographer has a unique knack for capturing emotion in a still frame, according to Gordon. The Nuggets’ season is right around the corner, so Augustus has been busy documenting Gordon’s training journey ahead of the season.</p><p>Gordon is a physical specimen who thrives largely in part to his incredible athletic abilities. That means he has to keep his body in shape. Not only does he get shots up on his personal hardwood, but he also trains his body in other ways, including with boxing and kickboxing. Rehab is also a big part of Gordon’s routine.</p><p>Augustus is there to capture it all and assist the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/4-players-robbed-out-of-nba-slam-dunk-contests-like-aaron-gordon">former All-Star Dunk Contest contestant</a> in any way he can. Gordon considers Augustus an artist, and fans are thrilled to see where Gordon’s offseason journey leads him and his team. The Nuggets had a huge offseason, so expectations are a mile high in the city of Denver.</p><p>Augustus’ work can be found on his Instagram, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/augustus.exposures">@augustus.exposures</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Aaron Gordon is building his brand with the help of Garrett Augustus

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-rumors-brian-windhorst-claims-warned-nikola-jokic-not-being-shape-eurobasket');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets rumors: Brian Windhorst claims he was ‘warned’ about Nikola Jokic not being in shape for EuroBasket');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jokic-dribbles.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nuggets rumors: Brian Windhorst claims he was ‘warned’ about Nikola Jokic not being in shape for EuroBasket</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T08:21:36-07:00">September 10th, 8:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T15:41:56-07:00">September 11th, 3:41pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets are exactly six weeks away from kicking off their 2025-26 NBA season with a new-look team around superstar Nikola Jokic. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nikola-jokic-serbia-upset-by-lauri-markkanen-finland-in-eurobasket-round-of-16">Jokic has been keeping busy</a> in recent weeks by representing his native country of Serbia at the ongoing EuroBasket tournament, where he has put together some mammoth stat lines to help keep his team afloat despite some injury concerns.</p><p>Despite this, Jokic’s averages for the tournament, by his standards, have been a bit pedestrian, and recently, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst took to the Hoop Collective podcast to shed some light on <a href="https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/nba_insider_claims_jokic_was_not_in_top_shape_in_eurobasket/s1_17250_42714734" rel="noopener">why he believes</a> that may be the case.</p><p>“I was talking to a guy that I know who’s a Serbian NBA executive…And I was like, I don’t trust, you know, Serbia is known to pull some punches, you know, play a little, play a little game where they don’t show their full situation…until it really matters. And he was like, no, he’s like, ‘Jokic is not quite on his game. He’s not quite in top shape.’ You know, he warned me,” said Windhorst, per YardBaker, via Sports Illustrated.</p><p>While Jokic has never physically appeared to be in NBA shape throughout his career, his conditioning has never been an issue during his time with the Nuggets, and it’s unlikely that Denver fans have anything to worry about in that regard.</p><h2><b>Can the Nuggets bounce back?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jokic-1.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Last year, the Denver Nuggets very nearly took out the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder before bowing out to them in seven game in the Western Conference semifinals.</p><p>This offseason, the Nuggets have added some nice talent by trading Michael Porter Jr. for Brooklyn Nets wing Cam Johnson and adding Tim Hardaway Jr. and former 2023 champion Bruce Brown in free agency.</p><p>The big question now for the Nuggets is whether Jamal Murray is still a legitimate No. 2 option on a championship team, which has proven not to be the case in the last two years since Denver won the Larry O’Brien trophy.</p><p>Still, with Jokic in the mix, anything is possible, even if his conditioning could use some work before the season starts.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets rumors: Brian Windhorst claims he was ‘warned’ about Nikola Jokic not being in shape for EuroBasket

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/eurobasket-news-jonas-valanciunas-greece-admission-qf-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jonas Valanciunas makes honest Greece admission after QF loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Veteran-center-Jonas-Valanciunas.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jonas Valanciunas makes honest Greece admission after QF loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T17:43:49-07:00">September 9th, 5:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T17:43:49-07:00">September 9th, 5:43pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>During the quarterfinals of EuroBasket this week, Greece punched their ticket to a semifinal matchup against Turkey after defeating Denver Nuggets big man Jonas Valanciunas and Lithuania.</p><p>Jonas Valanciunas led the way for Lithuania in the loss with 24 points and 15 rebounds, and after the game he spoke about the EuroBasket matchup and <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/giannis-greece-overcome-lithuania-for-first-semi-final-in-16-years" rel="noopener">how tough Greece was overall</a>, as per FIBA.</p><p>“Tonight was a battle. Both teams battled until the end. They were stronger. They were better than us. I was just happy we fought until the end, no matter what. It was a good fight,” Valanciunas said.</p><p>Valanciunas was the only NBA player on Lithuania’s EuroBasket roster, although they did have Azuolas Tubelis who was in 2023-24 training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers. On the other hand, it was Greece’s NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo who powered his team into the semifinals for the first time since 2009.</p><p>Antetokounmpo poured in a game-high 29 points, six rebounds, two assists, four steals and one blocked shot in 32 minutes. He was accompanied by his brothers Kostas, and Thanasis who recently re-signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after injury recovery.</p><p>Now that Lithuania has been eliminated from EuroBasket, Valanciunas can prepare for the upcoming NBA season with the Nuggets. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-welcome-jonas-valanciunas-kings-trade-becomes-official">Nuggets acquired the veteran big man in an offseason trade</a>, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-jonas-valanciunas-fully-commits-denver-amid-panathinaikos-rumors">he will play for the team this upcoming year after speculation</a> that he wanted to return overseas.</p><p>This past season, Valanciunas split time between the Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings. He appeared in a total of 81 games, including 21 starts, at a little over 18 minutes per game. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists with splits of 55 percent shooting from the field, 21.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 87.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>The Nuggets’ acquisition of Valanciunas was one of the better moves of the offseason as the team looks to strengthen their roster and get back to being a title contender.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jonas Valanciunas makes honest Greece admission after QF loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-michael-porter-jr-placed-next-to-cam-johnson-in-nba-wings-rankings-after-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. placed next to Cam Johnson in NBA wings rankings after trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Michael-Porter-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. placed next to Cam Johnson in NBA wings rankings after trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T09:53:46-07:00">September 8th, 9:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T09:58:16-07:00">September 8th, 9:58am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Michael Porter Jr.’s contract proved too costly for the Denver Nuggets this offseason. Less than two years removed from a championship, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/grading-nets-michael-porter-jr-cam-johnson-trade-nuggets">the team traded Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick</a> to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson. While many view Johnson as an upgrade for Denver, he and Porter Jr. were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6584218/2025/08/29/best-nba-wings-the-bounce/" rel="noopener">placed in the same tier in The Athletic’s Top-40 wing rankings</a>.</p><p>Zach Harper ranked Johnson at No. 18, while Porter Jr. was No. 20. Both players were part of a tier that included Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy III and Ausar Thompson.</p><p>“Johnson will have a career year with Nikola Jokić passing to him … and I’m interested to see what MPJ looks like without Jokić passing to him,” Harper wrote.</p><p>With two years and $79 million remaining on Porter Jr.’s contract, the Nuggets sought a cheaper alternative this offseason. They found one in Johnson, who is coming off a career-best season, and attached their last tradable first-round pick to Porter Jr. to acquire him.</p><h2>Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. and Nuggets’ Cam Johnson embracing new roles after trade</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Michael-Porter-Jr.2.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Johnson averaged 18.8 points and 3.4 assists on 48/39/89 shooting splits last season under first-year Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez. He and Desmond Bane were the NBA’s only players to average at least 18 points on such efficiency.</p><p>The 29-year-old should fit like a glove next to Nikola Jokic as one of the NBA’s top spot-up shooters. He also flashed improved shot creation as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and isolation scorer with Brooklyn.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-michael-porter-reveals-plan-break-through-nuggets-plateau">Porter Jr. has also been one of the NBA’s top floor spacers</a> throughout his career. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 49/40/78 shooting splits over his last three seasons. However, he did not see many opportunities as a pick-and-roll initiator or isolation scorer with Jokic and Jamal Murray dominating Denver’s offense.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-jordi-fernandez-teases-michael-porter-role-never-done-before">Porter Jr. will have an opportunity to show what he can do</a> in those areas with Brooklyn. Fernandez said the trade acquisition will have an expanded offensive role this season, which isn’t surprising given Brooklyn’s lack of shot-creation.</p><p>Should Porter Jr. excel amid the change in scenery, he could be a focal point of the Nets’ next iteration. Brooklyn could also flip him in a trade for a star at some point during the next two seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. placed next to Cam Johnson in NBA wings rankings after trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nikola-jokic-serbia-upset-by-lauri-markkanen-finland-in-eurobasket-round-of-16');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nikola Jokic, Serbia upset by Lauri Markkanen, Finland in EuroBasket round of 16');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic, Serbia upset by Lauri Markkanen, Finland in EuroBasket round of 16</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T15:31:29-07:00">September 6th, 3:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T08:25:27-07:00">September 7th, 8:25am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Finland produced the biggest shock of EuroBasket 2025, perhaps even the century, <a href="https://x.com/EuroBasket/status/1964431651590812041" rel="noopener">by knocking out tournament favorites</a> Serbia 92-86 in the Round of 16 at Arena Riga on Saturday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/eurobasket-news-alperen-sengun-thing-clear-nikola-jokic-win">The loss cut short Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s run</a>, sending the three-time NBA MVP home early for the second tournament in a row.</p><p>This was Finland’s first win over Serbia since 2009, snapping an eight-game losing streak, and securing back-to-back quarterfinal appearances for the first time in their history. For Serbia, it was deja vu after also falling in the Round of 16 in 2022 against Italy.</p><p>Finland came out firing, racing to an 11-1 lead and finishing the first quarter up 16-5. Serbia clawed back to tie the game at 28-28 in the second quarter and went into halftime ahead 48-44, with Jokic scoring 16 first-half points. But the Finns refused to fold, keeping the score tight and entering the final quarter with a 68-66 advantage.</p><p>The game swung back and forth in the last 10 minutes. Serbia went on a 6-0 run to lead 77-75 with under five minutes left, but Elias Valtonen turned the contest with a remarkable stretch. Valtonen scored 8 of his 13 points in the final two minutes, including two three-pointers and a tip-in, putting Finland up 87-81 with 53 seconds to play.</p><p>Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Finland’s star and one of the tournament’s top scorers, anchored the team with 29 points, 7–8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3–4 steals, depending on the source. Mikael Jantunen added 15 points, while 19-year-old Miro Little impressed with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. In total, four Finns scored in double figures.</p><p>On the Serbian side, Jokic poured in 33 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 14-of-19 at the free-throw line, adding 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Nikola Jovic was the only other Serbian in double figures, finishing with 20 points along with 4 rebounds. Ognjen Dobric chipped in 9 points and 5 boards, while Vasilije Micic had 8 points and 4 assists.</p><p>Statistically, Finland’s rebounding dominance proved decisive. They grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, repeatedly punishing Serbia after missed shots. On the other hand, Serbia struggled from long range, converting just 29 percent of their three-point attempts.</p><p>The loss prolongs Serbia’s drought for a EuroBasket title, which dates back to 2001. Jokic, despite his individual brilliance, remains without a medal in the competition. For many Serbian fans, the result raises doubts about whether the nation’s golden chance for glory with their NBA superstar has slipped away.</p><p>Finland advances to face the winner of France vs. Georgia in the quarterfinals. Lithuania, Turkey, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/eurobasket-news-franz-wagner-leads-germany-into-eurobasket-quarterfinals">and Germany are already through</a>, and now Markkanen and company are chasing the best EuroBasket finish in Finland’s history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic, Serbia upset by Lauri Markkanen, Finland in EuroBasket round of 16

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/eurobasket-news-alperen-sengun-thing-clear-nikola-jokic-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Alperen Sengun makes 1 thing clear about Nikola Jokic after EuroBasket win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Houston-Rockets-center-Alperen-Sengun-28-drives-at-Denver-Nuggets-center-Nikola-Jokic-15.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Alperen Sengun makes 1 thing clear about Nikola Jokic after EuroBasket win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T21:21:30-07:00">September 3rd, 9:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T21:24:15-07:00">September 3rd, 9:24pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In what could be argued as the game of the tournament so far, Turkey oulasted Serbia, 95-90, in a meeting of two undefeated teams in Group A on Wednesday.</p><p>The pulsating game, which saw eight ties and 15 lead changes, was highlighted by the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-turkey-coach-alperen-sengun-hype-houston-fans">intense matchup between Turkey’s Alperen Sengun</a> and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic. When the smoke cleared, it was Sengun and company who improved to 5-0.</p><p>The Houston Rockets center finished with a near triple-double of 28 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, showing yet again why he’s one of the most skilled big men in basketball.</p><p>Jokic, meanwhile, had 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The Denver Nuggets star defended Sengun for almost the entire game and looked gassed at times.</p><p><a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/tuerkiye-confirm-title-intentions-with-win-over-serbia" rel="noopener">After their win</a>, the 23-year-old Sengun gave the 30-year-old Jokic his flowers.</p><p>“Jokic is one of the best players in the world. Rather, he’s the best, as of recently. To play and get this win against him was really important for us. As for me, I also had the extra motivation for this game. So we’re happy. I’m happy I’ve played well and we won,” said the Turkey star in a report from FIBA.</p><p>Some observers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/eurobasket-news-shane-larkin-blunt-take-on-alperen-senguns-baby-jokic-nickname">have compared Sengun to the three-time NBA MVP</a> due to their similar playing style, including the ability to do everything on the floor by capitalizing on their size.</p><p>“(I shot) confidently. We had to make the open shots. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had any chances against this Serbia team. They left me open, and I shot with confidence,” added Sengun, who shot 10-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-7 from long distance.</p><p>Sengun had a breakout campaign with the Rockets last season, averaging career-highs across the board to earn his maiden appearance in the All-Star Game. He also helped Houston the second-best record in the Western Conference.</p><p>Turkey won five straight games in the EuroBasket for the first time since 2009. Serbia, on the other hand, absorbed its first loss in the group stage since 2017. Both nations are through to the Round of 16.</p><p>Turkey will face Sweden on Saturday, while Serbia will battle Finland on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Alperen Sengun makes 1 thing clear about Nikola Jokic after EuroBasket win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/eurobasket-news-nikola-jokic-serbia-lose-bogdan-bogdanovic-brutal-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nikola Jokic, Serbia lose Bogdan Bogdanovic to brutal EuroBasket injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Bogdan-Bogdanovic-protects-the-ball-against-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic, Serbia lose Bogdan Bogdanovic to brutal EuroBasket injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T08:56:04-07:00">August 31st, 8:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T08:56:04-07:00">August 31st, 8:56am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Serbia came in as the favorites for the 2025 EuroBasket, and it’s no surprise when looking at the experienced talent that they have on the team. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/eurobasket-news-luka-doncic-nikola-jokic-record-39-point-performances">Nikola Jokic is one of the best players</a> in the sport right now, and they also have other key players who have helped them, as seen last year in the Paris Olympics. One of those key players is Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is one of the better 3-point shooters in the league.</p><p>Unfortunately, it looks like Serbia may have to go on without Bogdanovic, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, as the sharpshooter <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1962163536043344148" rel="noopener">suffered a hamstring injury</a> against Portugal in the second round of the group stage.</p><p>“It is feared that the Clippers’ Bogdan Bogdanović will miss the rest of EuroBasket after sustaining a hamstring injury. Tournament favorites Serbia obviously still have Nikola Jokić but have lost their captain,” Stein wrote.</p><p>This could change a lot for Serbia as they try to win the championship, and Bogdanovic is one of the top players on the team. It looks like Jokic will have to carry most of the load, and it would be no surprise if he did so. The other players will have to step up, and they may have enough to still win it all.</p><p>As for Bogdanovic, the hope is that he has an easy recovery, but all eyes will be on if he will be ready for training camp with the Los Angeles Clippers in the upcoming month. Hamstring injuries are tricky, and you never know how long it could take for somebody to recover.</p><p>Bogdanovic is also a little older, so it could take some time until he’s fully ready to go.</p><p>The Clippers will most likely bring him along slowly, and luckily for them, with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-chris-paul-pens-emotional-goodbye-san-antonio-returns-clippers">moves that they’ve made over the offseason</a>, they have enough talent to make up for a possible absence.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic, Serbia lose Bogdan Bogdanovic to brutal EuroBasket injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/michael-porter-jr-gives-his-simple-mvp-reason-for-why-nuggets-nikola-jokic-is-the-goat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Michael Porter Jr. gives his simple MVP reason for why Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is the GOAT');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jokic-2.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Michael Porter Jr. gives his simple MVP reason for why Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is the GOAT</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T08:37:27-07:00">August 31st, 8:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T08:37:27-07:00">August 31st, 8:37am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Michael Porter Jr. did not hesitate when asked who he believes is the greatest basketball player of all time. The former Denver Nuggets forward went with a familiar name, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-nikola-jokic-left-michael-porter-jr-with-wild-goodbye-message-after-nets-trade">his former Denver teammate</a> Nikola Jokić.</p><p>“I’m going, Nikola Jokić,” Porter Jr. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb4zlCmuY8o" rel="noopener">said in a recent interview</a>. “The reason I say that is because he could have won MVP five years in a row. Can you name another player who could’ve won MVP five years?”</p><p>The comment adds to a growing chorus of voices recognizing the Serbian center’s place in basketball history. Jokić has already won three MVPs and nearly added two more, finishing runner-up in both cases. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-drops-truth-bomb-early-nikola-jokic-doubts">He also guided Denver</a> to its first NBA championship in 2023, a run defined by his unmatched ability to control every possession.</p><p>What separates Jokić is the scope of his impact. He is the only center in league history to average a triple-double for a season, and his advanced metrics rival or surpass those of Michael Jordan and LeBron James at their peaks. According to Basketball Reference, Jokić has posted a Box Plus/Minus above 10 for five straight years, something no other player has ever done. His Player Efficiency Ratings from 2021-22 and this season rank as the two highest in NBA history.</p><h2><b>Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic’s star continues to rise</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jokic-1.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For Denver, the numbers are staggering. With Jokić on the floor, the Nuggets operate like one of the most efficient offenses ever, scoring more than 30 points per 100 possessions, better than when he sits. His passing, court vision, and scoring efficiency make him the hub of an offense that rarely falters when he is in control.</p><p>The Nuggets’ championship run proved that Jokić’s style can win at the highest level. Now entering his 30s, his resume is beginning to stack up against the game’s all-time greats.</p><p>Porter Jr.’s praise may have sounded bold, but it reflected what many around Denver already believe. In a sport where the GOAT conversation rarely expands beyond Jordan and James, Jokić’s sustained excellence has forced basketball to make room for a new contender.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Michael Porter Jr. gives his simple MVP reason for why Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is the GOAT

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/eurobasket-news-luka-doncic-nikola-jokic-record-39-point-performances');   ga('set', 'title', 'Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic both record 39-point EuroBasket performances');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Luka-Doncic-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic both record 39-point EuroBasket performances</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-30T11:23:43-07:00">August 30th, 11:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-30T11:23:43-07:00">August 30th, 11:23am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 EuroBasket tournament is shaping up to be one of the most memorable in recent years, with two of the NBA’s brightest stars, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, delivering spectacular performances. Both players each scored 39 points in separate games, grabbing massive attention for their individual brilliance and adding another layer of drama to the international tournament.</p><p>In a thrilling matchup between Slovenia and France, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/eurobasket-news-watch-luka-doncic-drop-stunning-ankle-breaker">Doncic showcased his scoring prowess</a> with a 39-point performance. Despite his near-triple-double effort, Slovenia fell short in the game, losing 103-95. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar finished with 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 19-of-20 from the free-throw line, leading Slovenia in a hard-fought battle.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Luka Doncic in Slovenia's loss to France: </p><p>39 points                              8-of-20 FG<br>8 rebounds                          4-of-10 3PT<br>8 assists                                19-of-20 FT</p><p>Stream <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroBasket</a> LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/courtside1891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@courtside1891</a> in the US and Canada <a href="https://t.co/jV78NGzQB0">pic.twitter.com/jV78NGzQB0</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1961839529280651656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The loss to France, though disappointing, showcased Doncic’s ability to elevate his game even in the face of adversity. His 39-point performance tied his EuroBasket career-high and reaffirmed his status as one of the top players in the world.</p><p>Later that day, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-already-midseason-form-passing-clinic-eurobasket">Jokic led Serbia</a> to a hard-fought 84-80 victory over Latvia. The Denver Nuggets’ three-time MVP and 2023 NBA Finals MVP scored 39 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists, keeping Serbia unbeaten in the tournament. He was highly efficient, shooting 14-of-22 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.</p><p>His performance was crucial for Serbia, securing their 3-0 record in Group A. Even with key players like Nikola Jovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic absent, Jokic carried the team, proving he could lead under high-pressure situations and deliver in clutch moments.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic put on a SHOW as Serbia takes the win in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> vs. Latvia for their 3rd straight win and have secured their spot in the Round of 16 🔥</p><p>39 points                          14-of-22 FG<br>10 rebounds                     1-of-4 3PT<br>4 assists… <a href="https://t.co/ErL3gyjHRz">pic.twitter.com/ErL3gyjHRz</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1961838165628506199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The timing of these two performances—both players scoring 39 points within hours of each other—created an immediate social media sensation. Fans and analysts quickly took notice, comparing Doncic and Jokic side by side. The synchronicity of their high-scoring games added another level of excitement to EuroBasket and sparked discussions about which of the two stars had the superior performance.</p><p>While both players are global NBA icons, their performances in EuroBasket highlighted the increasing significance of the tournament for showcasing the talents of top basketball stars from across the world.</p><p>The performances of the two international superstars are pivotal not only on an individual level but also for their respective teams as they aim to make deep runs in EuroBasket 2025. Both Slovenia and Serbia are hoping to reach the final stages of the tournament, with Doncic and Jokic leading their squads. These high-scoring efforts not only boosted their teams’ chances but also helped elevate EuroBasket as a key global basketball event.</p><p>With the tournament drawing significant attention, the duo is proving that EuroBasket is more than just a European competition—it is a stage for NBA stars to shine and further cement their legacies.</p><p>For both superstars, representing their countries in EuroBasket is an honor that transcends individual accolades. The performances of these two superstars have solidified their status on the world stage, with their efforts helping to define EuroBasket 2025 as one of the most high-profile basketball tournaments.</p><p>As the competition continues, Doncic and Jokic will remain key players to watch. Their performances will likely play a large role in the outcome of EuroBasket 2025, a key tournament for both national teams and players alike.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic both record 39-point EuroBasket performances

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-already-midseason-form-passing-clinic-eurobasket');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic already in midseason form with passing clinic at EuroBasket');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nuggets-All-Star-Nikola-Jokic_94d0f8.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic already in midseason form with passing clinic at EuroBasket</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T13:49:53-07:00">August 27th, 1:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T13:49:53-07:00">August 27th, 1:49pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nikola-jokic-bold-predictions-serbia-eurobasket-2025">Nikola Jokic and Serbia are the favorites to win</a> EuroBasket 2025 as the three-time MVP will look to lead his team to gold. Many of Jokic’s teammates are NBA players or have played in the association at some point. However, it’s Jokic’s offensive prowess as a high-caliber scorer and playmaker that many believe separates Serbia from the rest of the pack.</p><p>Jokic demonstrated a combination of both out of the gates, finding Aleksa Avramovic <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960776183404224590" rel="noopener">deep in the corner</a> for a three in the opening minutes of Serbia’s matchup against Estonia.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This pass from Nikola Jokic in the opening minutes of Serbia-Estonia 🤯<a href="https://t.co/v313JllWzX">pic.twitter.com/v313JllWzX</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960776183404224590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In the end, Serbia cruised to a 98-64 victory against Estonia in the opening round of EuroBasket 2025. The two teams are in Group A of the tournament, alongside Latvia, Turkiye, Czechia, and Portugal, which Serbia will face in their second game of the group stage on Friday.</p><h2><b>DeMarcus Cousins on the scary part about Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nuggets-All-Star-and-Serbia-center-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Retired forward and former teammate <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-demarcus-cousins-details-the-scary-part-about-nikola-jokic">DeMarcus Cousins revealed conversations with Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic</a> that highlighted Jokic’s passion for basketball, or lack thereof. For Cousins, it’s scary to think maybe Nikola would be significantly better if he truly loved the sport. However, it’s not safe to make that assumption despite DeMarcus’s story and what fans see from the outside looking in.</p><p>Cousins, who last played for the Nuggets in 2021-22, <a href="https://twitter.com/straightgamepod/status/1950732325379052023" rel="noopener">discussed what surprised him</a> most about Jokic, per the Straight Game podcast.</p><p>“There are games where he’s dropping one of these crazy stat lines… he probably doesn’t even want to be there,” Cousins said. “And that’s the scary part about all of it.”</p><p>Cousins said Jokic was considering retiring after finishing out his last contract with the Nuggets.</p><p>“He was like, ‘Cuz, I honestly think I might retire after this contract,’” Cousins said. “I said, ‘And leave $300 million on the table?’ I told him, ‘Sign the contract and just get fat at worst. Don’t gas up on the $300 million, bro.’”</p><p>Jokic had a more emotional response to seeing his horse win a race than what people saw in 2023 when the Nuggets won the NBA Finals, 4-1, against the Heat.</p><p>“He was like, ‘I just want to go lay out in my valley with my horses,’” Cousins added. “And I told him, ‘Those horses are gonna be there, bro. Go get the 300. You can buy more horses.’”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Demarcus Cousins says Nikola Jokic considered retirement instead of signing a Supermax deal with the Nuggets 😳😳 <a href="https://t.co/4UaKA5V85I">pic.twitter.com/4UaKA5V85I</a></p><p>— Straight Game Podcast (@straightgamepod) <a href="https://twitter.com/straightgamepod/status/1950732325379052023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The three-time MVP, who finished as runner-up to Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander last season, is entering his 11th season with the Nuggets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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DenverNuggets NEWS

Nuggets News: Get the latest Denver Nuggets news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Nuggets News

Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic’s game draws intriguing Rudy Gobert breakdown

Nuggets agree to contract with ex-Mavericks center

Aaron Gordon is building his brand with the help of Garrett Augustus

Nuggets rumors: Brian Windhorst claims he was ‘warned’ about Nikola Jokic not being in shape for EuroBasket

Jonas Valanciunas makes honest Greece admission after QF loss

Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. placed next to Cam Johnson in NBA wings rankings after trade

Nikola Jokic, Serbia upset by Lauri Markkanen, Finland in EuroBasket round of 16

• Alperen Sengun makes 1 thing clear about Nikola Jokic after EuroBasket win

• Nikola Jokic, Serbia lose Bogdan Bogdanovic to brutal EuroBasket injury

• Michael Porter Jr. gives his simple MVP reason for why Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is the GOAT

• Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic both record 39-point EuroBasket performances

• Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic already in midseason form with passing clinic at EuroBasket

Denver
Nuggets NEWS