Before the start of the new NBA season, the Denver Nuggets got their rings for the championship – then Nikola Jokic and Co. defeated the Lakers.
The defending champions started the new season with a clear victory and put an exclamation mark right away. After the obligatory banner and ring ceremony for last season’s championship, the Nuggets prevailed 119-107 on Tuesday night (local time). The celebrations had clearly not only fired up the hosts on the floor (Jokic: “It gave us a boost. We didn’t want to let it spoil our evening”), but also the nearly 20,000 spectators in the hall, who were loud and cheering throughout the game.
The first points of the new season were scored by Anthony Davis, but the Nuggets took the lead after only a few minutes, extended it to 18 points in the meantime and did not give it away again during the course of the game. The Lakers around LeBron James (21 points, 8 rebounds) did not manage to get back to a deficit of less than three points, despite all the efforts of the superstar and AD.
“The first half was great,” said Jokic, who recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists right out of the gate. Asked if the Nuggets are in it for the title defense, he replied, “I think we have a chance, why not. The core of the team is still here. “
