Led by NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets have marched their way to fourth place in the West with a 25-16 record. After a 57-win 2023-24 season ended in a second-round exit, the Nuggets are looking to build a championship-caliber team.

Nikola Jokic posted his league-leading 17th triple-double of the season, bundling 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets' 133-113 road win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.

This is when reality further hit home for the Miami Heat. Mediocre without Jimmy Butler. Mediocre with Jimmy Butler. And, so, a 20-20 Miami Heat record one game from the midpoint of their season, even with Butler back after missing seven games due to a team suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.