Nikola Jokic ‘definitely concerned’ as Nuggets struggle in clutch

The Denver Nuggets’ late-game woes continued Sunday as the team squandered yet another opportunity in crunch time during a 128-117 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Despite Nikola Jokic dropping 35 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists, the Nuggets simply couldn’t execute when it mattered most.

The Nuggets have dropped six of their last nine games, and their star player isn’t mincing his words.

“I’m definitely concerned, because we are losing the games,” said Jokic. “We are losing the games, and we are not creating open looks. So that’s something that we need to change. … I don’t know what it is, but we need to figure it out.”

Following the loss, guard Christian Braun pointed to a lack of physicality and positioning as the root cause of Denver’s struggles.

“I think a lot of it this year has just been not holding our spots. Not being tough enough,” said Braun. “It has nothing to do with our process down the stretch. It has nothing to do with anything besides, we need to hold our spots.”

The Warriors took advantage of Denver’s defensive lapses, with Brandin Podziemski erupting for 12 points in the final five minutes to seal the victory.

Now sitting at 36-22, the Nuggets face a critical stretch ahead. After a few days of rest, they will face the Boston Celtics at home on Wednesday. Then on Friday, they’ll face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who currently have the league’s best record.

With the playoffs approaching and the Nuggets wanting to maintain their legitimate contender status, they will have to find a way to close out these games.