Before their last road game of the trip in Chicago, the Nuggets finally received some good news on the health front: Nikola Jokic's ankle sprain was a nothing burger, and Cam Johnson would be returning to the starting lineup! It's the first time in weeks that they've had four of their opening-night starters on the court together, and the offensive explosion led to the Nuggets' highest-scoring game since an overtime win against the Timberwolves in the nightcap on Christmas Day.
The Nuggets' offense erupted for 136 points in the 16-point win against the Bulls. Nikola Jokic stuffed the stat sheet with yet another triple-double, including a season-high 17 assists, along with 22 points and 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 1 steal. It was the 182nd of his career, and he moved past the Big "O" Oscar Robertson for second place on the all-time list.
Cam Johnson not only looked healthy, but he also played great in his first appearance on the court after missing the last 23 games due to a right knee injury. He had 14 points and 4 rebounds in 27 minutes on a fantastic 6-9 shooting from the floor.
The whole team shot great in this one. The Nuggets finished the game with a 57% shooting percentage on two-point attempts and 48% from three-point range. This is the offense we saw in the first few weeks of the season, before the injuries started to pile up.
The whole rotation got involved
It was a total team effort, as David Adelman mostly kept the Nuggets on an eight-man rotation, with Jonas Valanciunas spelling Nikola Jokic. All eight scored in double digits, Jamal Murray topping the chart with 28 points and adding 11 assists of his own.
This biggest bright spot of all may have been the continued surprising play from Julian Strawther. Strawther has been on a heater recently, and vs. the Bulls it was no different. He had 19 points, including shooting 4 of 8 from three, and added 5 rebounds, making just his second start of the season. Strawther will be a key player over the next four weeks as he fills in for injured starter Aaron Gordon and new Nugget star Peyton Watson.
The only negative from the game may have been the poor defense through three quarters. The Nuggets actually trailed entering the fourth quarter, 104-97, but a 20-2 run to open the frame put them up for good. The Nuggets get a day off before hosting the Cavs on Monday.