Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic returned to action on Wednesday after missing five games in a row. In his return, the three-time MVP led the team to a 127-117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks with a monster triple-double. Jokic had 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on 64% shooting from the field. According to Denver’s head coach, Michael Malone, the Serbian big man benefitted from having a time off as he appeared more explosive and dominant in the game.
The last time Jokic played was on March 15 when the team suffered a 125-123 loss against the Washington Wizards. The Serbian big man had 40 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in that bout. However, that was followed by five straight absences due to an ankle injury.
In his game on Wednesday, though, Malone noticed the difference in how he played after a long rest. According to the 53-year-old coach, he believes Jokic’s time away from the court allowed his body to recover and perform better.
“He was banged up those games that he missed were not rest games, those games were missed because [of] his inability to go out there and play at the level he’s capable of playing,” Malone said.
“But I did see a guy that looked rested, looked explosive, and looked as efficient and dominating as ever.
Nuggets' Michael Malone on if he thought Jokic looked different tonight and if he benefited from the rest:
"I saw a guy that looked rested, looked explosive, and looked as efficient and dominating as ever." pic.twitter.com/ucl2rnp9TL
— Rachel Strand (@MileHighRachel) March 27, 2025
Before playing again on Friday against the Utah Jazz, the Nuggets will take a day off. Denver has a 3-0 season series record and has faced Utah three times in the 2024–25 NBA season. In the third game of their five-game homestand, they aim to sweep the Jazz 4-0.
The Denver Nuggets star big man talked about why he missed games
It’s unusual to see Jokic on the bench as he’s always ready to play for the Denver Nuggets at all times. However, the Nuggets are being cautious with the health of their best player as the postseason is right around the corner. After his first game back from injury, the seven-time All-Star talked about why he missed five straight games.
“It was just smart,” Jokic said. “I couldn’t really jump on my left leg. So it was really painful, and it was just better to feel good. I don’t want to be on the floor and feel nervous because I cannot play how I want to play and on the level I want to play.”
Nikola Jokic on missing 5 games: “It was just smart. I couldn’t really jump on my left leg. So it was really painful, and it was just better to feel good. I don’t want to be on the floor and feel nervous because I cannot play how I want to play and on the level I want to play.”
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) March 27, 2025
Jokic feels “much better” than he thought with the rest that he recently had. Although he said that he still feels a bit of pain in his ankle, it’s far better than it was before he had his rest.
The six-time All-NBA player is averaging 10.3 assists, 12.8 rebounds, and 29.1 points this season. Many people believe he should receive the Most Valuable Player title because of his stats. The Denver Nuggets star would have four victories overall if he were to win the coveted prize this season.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
