On Tuesday evening, the Denver Nuggets got back into the win column with a narrow road win over the Utah Jazz. Nikola Jokic once again filled the stat sheet in this one, scoring 22 points with 12 rebounds and five assists in the win.
There was a controversial moment late in the game when Jazz guard Keyonte George was attempting to box out Jokic on a free throw rebound, after which Jokic essentially took a piggyback ride, causing both players to fall to the floor, and drawing outrage from fans in attendance.
Nikola Jokic and Keyontae George tangled in the box out. 🤣
(h/t @CourtsideBuzzX)
- Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) 3 March 2026
After the game, Jazz coach Will Hardy spoke about the difficult challenge of keeping the Joker in control, especially with smaller players like George.
“There are some other teams in the league that have defended [Nikola] With the little things and it's about trying to wear him down, make the catch difficult... If you know a good coverage for Jokic, please email me,'' Oh No He Didn't on X, Hardy previously said on Twitter.
Some fans on social media termed this drama as dirty. Making matters more ironic was the fact that Jokic was involved in another brawl the previous week against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when Oklahoma City forward Lou Dort attempted a blatant cheap shot by going past Jokic's legs while jogging on the court, leading to a heated altercation between the two teams and Dort being ejected.
Meanwhile, through the many chaotic plays he has been involved in recently, Jokic is getting back to his MVP form after a bit of a slow start as he recently returned from a knee injury that sidelined him for a month.
The Nuggets currently sit at 38-24 on the season. They will next take the field on Thursday evening in a home match against the Los Angeles Lakers.
