Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a big win in his return to the court — all while continuing to cement his place in franchise history.
The reigning league MVP scored 39 points in a 127-117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 26, helping the Nuggets keep pace in a competitive Western Conference. The win brought Denver to 1.5 games behind the surging Houston Rockets for the No. 2 spot in the conference.
Jokic made his return after missing five games with elbow and ankle injuries and set the pace with an all-around stellar performance. He scored his 29 points on 16-of-25 shooting with 10 rebounds and 10 assists — breaking his own franchise record by recording his 30th triple-double of the season.
After the game, the Nuggets took to social media to deliver a succinct message on Jokic’s performance.
“Goodnight from Nikola,” the post read, showing a video of Jokic waving to the Denver crowd after the game.
Goodnight from Nikola đź‘‹ pic.twitter.com/LJO1dcO06H
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 27, 2025
Speaking to reporters after the win, Jokic said he needed the time away from the court to heal from the painful injury that was limiting his performance.
“It was just smart,” Jokic said. “I couldn’t really jump on my left leg. So it was really painful, and it was just better to feel good. I don’t want to be on the floor and feel nervous because I cannot play how I want to play and on the level I want to play.”