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Nikola Jokic delivered a dominant triple-double performance as the Denver Nuggets launched the defense of their NBA championship crown with a season-opening 119-107 victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
On a night which saw Nuggets players receive their championship rings as the team raised its first banner in franchise history, Denver tipped off the 2023-2024 season with a display which suggested they will once again be one of the teams to beat.
"I think the whole ceremony gave us a boost," Jokic said after the win. "We didn't want anything to ruin our night.
"The first half was amazing for us but then we kind of slowed down... But then at the end of the game we were really good and we won the game."
The clash at the Ball Arena was a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals, which Denver swept 4-0 to reach the NBA Finals where they emerged victorious against the Miami Heat.
Denver threatened to steamroll the Lakers early on, surging into an 18-point lead at the start of the second quarter as the Lakers struggled to contain two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic and Jamal Murray.
The Lakers, who strengthened their roster during the offseason with the additions of Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent and Christian Wood amongst others, fought back during the second half to close the gap to just three points at 92-89 in the fourth quarter.
But Denver once again demonstrated their championship pedigree, pulling away whenever the Lakers appeared to be within striking distance to close out an impressive victory.
Jokic believes the Nuggets have what it takes to challenge for back-to-back titles.
"We have the opportunity," he told the TNT television network. "You never know what the season's gonna bring. But our offense was good and our defense was good.
"If we play like this tonight, I think we have a chance. Why not?"
- Suns down Warriors -
Jokic finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists -- his 106th career triple -- as Denver showcased their formidable offensive power once more.
All five Denver starters finished with double-digit point tallies.
Murray posted 21 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 20, while Aaron Gordon knocked down 15 and Michael Porter Jr. 12.
The Lakers' scoring was led by James, who finished with 21 points, while new recruit Prince added 18, including four three-pointers.
Anthony Davis finished with 17 points but faded badly in the second half. All of Davis's 17 points came in the first half.
Austin Reaves (14) and D'Angelo Russell (11) also got into double figures for the Lakers.
In Tuesday's other season-opener, Devin Booker scored 32 points as the Phoenix Suns pipped the Golden State Warriors 108-104 in a roller coaster scrap in San Francisco.
A wild second half saw the Warriors overturn a 15-point deficit after outscoring Phoenix 40-19 in the third quarter, before the Suns rallied in the fourth quarter to complete a memorable victory.
Booker was backed by 18 points from former Golden State star Kevin Durant, while Josh Okogie added 17 and Jusuf Nurkic 14.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors scoring with 27 points while former Phoenix guard Chris Paul added 14 points in his first regular season game for Golden State.
"We understood after a good first half that they weren't giving in," Booker said.
"They were champs two years ago, and they're a really good team -- a really good third-quarter team. They came out in the second half and gave us another punch but we kept playing through it."
Daniel Weinman was crowned winner of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Monday, taking home a record breaking $12.1 million in winnings. Weinman had to outlast the other 10,043 entrants to take home the prize and get his hands on his share of live poker’s largest ever prize pool – a staggering $93,399,900. As well as taking home the prize money, 35-year-old Weinman also got his hands on the WSOP Main Event bracelet. The huge bracelet contains 500 grams of 10-karat yellow gold, as well as 2,352 various precious gemstones.
Daniel Weinman won the World Series of Poker's main event world championship on Monday in Las Vegas, earning $12.1 million along the way. Playing in the tournament for a 16th year, Weinman was tops in a deep pool of 10,043 players vying for $93.39 million. His victory came after just 164 hands at the final table. "I was honestly on the fence about even coming back and playing this tournament," the 35-year-old Atlanta native told reporters afterward. Weinman's final table featured Jan-Peter Jachtmann, who landed in fourth place and took home $3 million, as well as Toby Lewis, who finished seventh and secured $1.42 million. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the main event's entry pool far outpaced the previous record of 8,773 set in 2006. "I've always kind of felt that poker was kind of going in a dying direction, but to see the numbers at the World Series this year has been incredible," Weinman said. "And to win this main event, it doesn't feel real. I mean, [there's] so much luck in a poker tournament. I thought I played very well." Steven Jones finished second, securing $6.5 million. And Adam Walton settled for third and a $4 million prize.
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