Jokic triple-double secures Nuggets win, Splitter and Blazers fall | OneFootball

The Denver Nuggets managed to recover this Wednesday from the surprising defeat on Monday to the Chicago Bulls by winning 125 to 118 against the New Orleans Pelicans, driven by the ninth triple-double of Serbian Nikola Jokic.

Here are the three most highlighted scenes of the NBA round:

Jokic starts the season with a triple-double average

The legend of Nikola Jokic continues to grow. Before the duel against the Pelicans, the Serbian had averages of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, numbers he maintained with another dominant performance: 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists against a New Orleans team in free fall.

Jokic, 30 years old and NBA champion in 2023, had as a downside his nine turnovers and the six fouls committed.

His best partner at the Smoothie King Center was forward Peyton Watson, who finished as the game's top scorer with 32 points, the best mark of his career.

“I'm feeling really good,” said Watson. “This group of coaches and players has empowered me, and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I've worked hard, I have confidence, and I know my teammates trust me.”

The Pelicans have lost 13 of their first 15 games, including the last three under the interim command of James Borrego after the departure of Willie Green.

Sengun leads the Rockets to their fifth consecutive victory

The Houston Rockets won 114 to 104 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and extended their winning streak to five.

With nine wins in the last ten games, Houston occupies the third place in the West.

Turkish Alperen Sengun once again was the main figure with a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds.

“I'm not afraid of anyone; I can face the best defender in the league,” he stated. “I always go to the basket and look for my shots.”

Sengun, 23 years old, has averages of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in the first 12 games of the 2025-26 season.

In a duel that was expected to be more balanced, the Rockets managed to open a 22-point lead. For Cleveland, De’Andre Hunter led the attack with 25 points, including five three-pointers.

Vucevic decides against the Blazers in the last second

The Chicago Bulls won 122 to 121 against the Portland Trail Blazers, coached by Brazilian Tiago Splitter, with a last-second basket by Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic.

“It's an incredible feeling,” commented Vucevic at the end of the match. “It wasn't a good fourth quarter for me, but I always keep confidence in my shot.”

“It's special to decide the game this way, we enjoyed it a lot,” he added.

Coby White, who became a key figure coming off the bench, drove into the paint and, attracting two defenders, assisted Vucevic, who, unmarked, hit from long distance at the decisive moment.

It's the fourth consecutive defeat for the team led by Brazilian Tiago Splitter.

Splitter, 40 years old, led the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach to Chauncey Billups, currently suspended due to an FBI investigation.

Despite the defeat, Israeli Deni Avdija continues to establish himself as Portland's standout figure, finishing with a triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Portland strung together a 30-7 run in the fourth quarter and managed to take a three-point lead with 47 seconds on the clock until the former Orlando Magic sealed the visitors' victory at the Moda Center in Portland.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.