It’s not often that Nikola Jokic completely loses his cool in a game, but he did during the Denver Nuggets‘ 118-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Friday. Jokic was raging on the bench in the fourth quarter and even slammed his bottle in frustration.
Nikola Jokic looks upset on the bench, as Jimmy Butler makes his free throws, and he continues to rant about it even after it.
He also throws his bottle. pic.twitter.com/RucG4ylwUc
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 5, 2025
Jokic kept ranting for quite some time there, and you do feel for him considering what happened on the night. The 30-year-old had scored 15 points in the first quarter alone to give the Nuggets a 44-34 lead at the end of the quarter.
Jokic gave the Nuggets a great platform to build from, but then watched in dismay as his teammates squandered much of that lead when he sat on the bench for about the first six minutes of the second quarter. By the time the three-time MVP re-entered, the Nuggets were only up 49-48.
The tide had turned by then, and the Warriors would seize control of the contest despite Jokic’s best efforts. He put up 33 points (13-17 FG), 12 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals on the night, and the team still lost by double digits.
This loss comes days after the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Nuggets 140-139 in double overtime despite Jokic recording a 61-point triple-double. You can certainly understand if his frustrations are growing with him.
The Nuggets have now lost three in a row to drop to 47-31 this season. They are fourth in the West and are in real danger of slipping even further down the standings, as the Warriors have improved to 46-31.
The sixth-placed Timberwolves are also just 1.5 games behind the Nuggets now with a 45-32 record. The Timberwolves have the tiebreaker as well, having swept the season series.
The Nuggets need to steady the ship soon, as they are stumbling at the worst possible time. Jamal Murray returning from injury would help matters, but it’s unclear when he’ll be back.
The Nuggets are in action next against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena on Sunday at 8 PM ET. The Pacers have won eight of their last 10 games and will provide the Nuggets a very stern challenge.
