Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama occupied the NBA’s spotlight and didn’t disappoint in their marquee showdown Friday night.
In a clash between two of basketball’s biggest titans, Wembanyama prevailed with his San Antonio Spurs taking a 113-110 victory over Jokic’s Denver Nuggets.
But the face-off was highly intense which went down to the wire. It was Devin Vassell who emerged as the hero for the Spurs, intercepting the pass of the Denver star and went coast-to-coast to sink the game-winning layup with 1.7 seconds left.
Regardless of the tough defeat he sustained with the Nuggets, Jokic can only tip his hat to Wembanyama for their compelling duel.
Both Jokic and Wembanyama went off for another remarkable head-to-head performance that is now written in the league’s record books.
Jokic recorded another superstar statline, finishing with a mind-boggling 41 points, 18 boards, and 9 assists across 37 minutes. Meanwhile, the Spurs phenom assured himself a competitive effort in matching the reigning league MVP, tallying 35 markers and 18 rebounds.
Per ESPN, it marked the sixth game since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976 — and first since 2019 — to feature 35-point, 15-rebound performances from two opposing players.
“I think he’s better this year than last year, and I think he’s going to get even better,” Jokic said of Wembanyama in his postgame media availability. “I think he’s a special player.
“I think he’s one of a kind and is going to be remembered forever.”
For Wembanyama, it’s all about finding opportunities for continuous development in order to meet his utmost ceiling as a generational talent.
And by battling Jokic, he couldn’t ask for a greater moment to seize and satisfy his demands for competitive hoops.
“Multiple-time MVP, soon to be MVP again,” he said of Jokic. “Can’t ask for a better way to get better.”
Jokic and Wembanyama are still slated for another regular season duel in April. But as the present and the future of this game, they are intertwined for more memorable battles in the next couple of years.
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