NFL
By: Jason Gulden
Hello again, Nuggets fans. I hope everyone enjoyed a pleasant Christmas and received some excellent Nuggets merchandise, as I did. In my last article, I mentioned a few of the streaks this Nuggets team has been going through. Well, both of those streaks came to an end.
Road Streak
Before the December 23rd game in Dallas, the Nuggets held an impressive 11-game road winning streak. Despite their efforts, they were narrowly defeated by the Mavericks, 131-130, with Cooper Flagg contributing 33 points and Anthony Davis adding 31 points. After trailing 50-29 early in the second quarter, the Nuggets demonstrated resilience by regaining the lead in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, Payton Watson’s attempt for a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer was unsuccessful.
Injury Woes Continue
The Denver Nuggets’ 11-game road winning streak concluded with a loss in Dallas, accompanied by another setback as a starter sustained an injury. Cam Johnson exited early in the fourth quarter due to a hyperextended knee. The incident appeared serious, raising concerns among Nuggets supporters nationwide. Head Coach David Adelman stated during his post-game press conference that the severity of Johnson’s injury will not be determined until after his MRI evaluation.
Cam underwent an MRI either late that night or on Wednesday. Results were better than expected—no ACL tear, but he has a right knee bruise and will be out for 4–6 weeks before being reevaluated.
The Nuggets are set to face notable challenges in the upcoming week, as three-fifths of their starting lineup will be unavailable. With Christian Braun sidelined, Payton Watson has assumed his position. Spencer Jones has stepped in for Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson’s absence now prompts the question of who will take his place. On Christmas Day, Tim Hardaway Jr filled this role. It remains to be seen whether he will continue in this capacity or if the 2024 first-round draft pick, DeRon Holmes II, will have the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities on the court. The situation will continue to evolve.
Home Stand
Coming into the past homestand, the Nuggets have struggled at home. They were on a 4-game losing streak, and those losses were against mediocre teams. The only team that wasn’t mediocre was San Antonio, but they were without Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.
During the recent series of home games, the Nuggets hosted Houston twice within six days, along with matchups against Orlando, Utah, and Minnesota. In contrast to their prior four home games, the team delivered strong performances this time, achieving a 4-1 record. Their only defeat occurred on Saturday, December 20th, when they faced Houston for the second time in six days.
That home stretch also completes the 2025 home portion of the schedule for the Nuggets. They currently have a 10-5 home record. They don’t return to Ball Arena until January 9th, when they welcome the Atlanta Hawks to town.
Tough Stretch Ahead
These next 14 days are going to be tough. The Nuggets embark on their longest road trip of the season with 7 games against some of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. They will travel to Orlando on December 27th. On December 29th, they travel to Miami. To wrap up the 2025 portion of the schedule, they will travel to Toronto on New Year’s Eve. Their first game of 2026 will be against Cleveland on January 2nd. On January 4th, they face off against a former Nugget, Michael Porter Jr, for the first time and the Brooklyn Nets. The last two games on the road trip will be in Philadelphia on the 5th and in Boston on the 7th. Does our road dominance continue on this 7-game road trip?
Nikola Jokic’s Recent History and the Cusp of History
Nikola Jokic continues doing amazing things like Jokic can do. In the game against Orlando on December 18th, Jokic became the NBA all-time leader in assists by a primary center, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Karrem had 5,660 career assists. Currently, Jokic has 5,714 career assists.
On Christmas Day, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jokic scored the 3rd most points in NBA History on Christmas Day. He scored 56 points. Only Bernard King, 60 in 1984 and Wilt Chamberlain, 59 in 1961, were better.
The Christmas Day game of 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists was the first time someone in NBA history had a triple-double with a 55/15/15 game.
Jokic is now only 3 triple-doubles away from passing Oscar Robertson for 2nd on the all-time triple-double list. Will Jokic be number 2 and just looking up at Russell Westbrook, on the career list, when we speak again? Only time will tell.
Time To Vote
Nuggets fans, it is time to vote for the NBA All-Stars. Let’s get out there and vote for our players, especially Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Let’s send them both to Los Angeles in February. Click on the link, NBA All-Star 2026, to cast that vote.
Well, Nuggets fans, that’s a wrap for this article. I want to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. Talk to you all next year. Go Nuggets!!!!!!!!
