Knicks Get Valuable Experience Playing MVP

The New York Knicks didn't waste their chance when facing one of the league's best players.

Nov 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Even though the New York Knicks didn't get the best performance out of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, he still managed to shine for his team.

Jokic scored 22 points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists against the Knicks. It's a positive stat line, but for the three-time MVP, it wasn't as strong as what he has been able to produce.

So far this season, Jokic is averaging a triple-double with 29.7 points, 13.4 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game. His play as of late caught the attention of Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“He’s an incredible player, obviously," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. "His record speaks for itself. What he’s doing is really impressive. He just keeps getting better and better every year. That’s a testament to the work he puts into the game.”

One player who gained significant experience going against Jokic was backup center Jericho Sims. As Sims has been looking to secure the backup center role to start the season, getting the chance to face the MVP is a rare opportunity that the fourth-year pro was able to jump on.

Sims played 14 minutes in the Knicks' win against the Nuggets, and during some of that time, he got a chance to defend Jokic.

"I mean, he has a different game. He’s a little bit more awkward," Sims said. "I guess I didn’t grow up as much playing against people like that. So a skilled big that he doesn’t have to be that athletic, just knows what he’s doing on the court. He’s really heavy-set, so if he gets the ball down low, he’s kind of difficult to move out of the way.”

Sims will look to use that experience defending Jokic and apply it to his future matchups as the season rolls along.

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