JOKIC MAKES NBA HISTORY IN RETURN

## The Return Nobody Saw Coming "I was not scared to use [the knee]. I was not thinking about it while I was running and while I was playing. I think that's a good sign I'm ready," Nikola Jokic said after dropping 31 points in his first game in over a month. The three-time MVP didn't just return from his hyperextended left knee injury. He made history. Playing on a minutes restriction, Jokic finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals in 25 minutes as the Nuggets beat the Clippers 122-109. He became the first player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists while playing less than 25 minutes. Jokic went 8-of-11 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 13-of-17 from the free throw line. That's the kind of efficiency that makes you wonder if he was actually injured at all. ## The Stakes Were Higher Than Anyone Realized Jokic missed 16 games since limping off the floor just before halftime at Miami. He was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee, with the Nuggets saying at the time the three-time NBA MVP would be re-evaluated in four weeks. The injury happened when teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his left foot. The center from Serbia fell to the floor and grabbed at his knee before limping toward the locker room. But here's what made Friday's return crucial: He needs to appear in 65 of Denver's 82 games to be eligible for most awards like MVP and All-NBA. For the rest of the season, Jokic can only miss one more game before he becomes ineligible for the end-of-season awards. The 30-year-old Jokic has finished first or second in the MVP balloting in each of the last five seasons. ## The Numbers Don't Lie Before the injury, Jokic was averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting a career-best 43.5% from 3-point range. Those are video game numbers in real life. Denver went 10-6 in his absence, staying competitive thanks to breakout performances from role players. Wing Peyton Watson averaged 22.1 points in the 15 games he played without Jokic, compared to 10.7 points per game in his previous 30 contests this season. But Jokic's comeback was timely. The Nuggets announced Thursday that forward Aaron Gordon will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks after aggravating the right hamstring strain. Sunday's game against MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder will certainly be Jokic and Denver's biggest test. The MVP race just got interesting again.