Big Man Still Ballin’ 🏀
10/25/2023
By: Jeff Yoder
Nuggets Celebrate With Banner & Rings Before Nikola Jokic Starts the Season With a Triple-Double
Of course. How else would the 2023 NBA season begin? The Nuggets and Suns were winners on NBA’s opening night, beating the Lakers and Warriors, respectively. Plenty of storylines were in play to tip off the season, but it all started in Denver. The Nuggets raised their 2023 NBA Finals banner and grabbed their championship rings from Commissioner Adam Silver before stomping the Lakers out of the gate. Los Angeles fought back to make it a game, but reigning NBA Finals darling Nikola Jokic kicked off his 2023-24 campaign with his 106th triple-double (29 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists). Can’t make it up. The guy makes it look too easy.
Nuggets fans produced the viral moment of opening night with a well-synced “Who’s Your Daddy?” chant that sent shockwaves through social media. We learned that LeBron James is still a force in Year 19 (21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists), but Anthony Davis (17 points) disappeared with 0 points in the second half.
In the nightcap, the Suns and Warriors played a topsy-turvy game that was exciting to watch. The Suns outscored the Warriors by 15 in the 2nd quarter, but the Warriors won the 3rd stanza by 21 before Phoenix used an 11-0 run in the 4th and two clutch 3s from Josh Okogie and Eric Gordon. Chris Paul playing his former team was the talk of the night, but we’re still waiting to see the Suns at full strength with Bradley Beal. Devin Booker (32 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) had the game-high.
NBA Opening Night Highlights
Tonight, it’s everybody else’s turn! A dozen games hit the television tonight for 24 teams playing their season-openers. We’ll have full coverage tomorrow.
Tonight’s Games
Celtics at Knicks (7:00 pm ET, ESPN)
Mavericks at Spurs (9:30 pm ET, ESPN)
Today’s Full NBA Schedule (12 Games)
Read More
B/R:Â Nikola Jokic Hailed by NBA Fans as MVP Favorite With Season-Opening Win
Yahoo! Sports: There’s No Championship Hangover in Denver
ESPN:Â NBA Has Record 125 International Players on Opening-Night Rosters
Photo: Aaron Ontiveroz / Getty Images