Darren & Vic's Takes: NBA Week 16

Published: Monday, February 9, 2026

by Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa

Week 15 is behind us, which means Week 16 is officially upon us. That said, Vic and I are back to recap the big games we have been watching, so without further ado, it is time to get into these recaps.

Darren: Denver Nuggets vs Detroit Pistons

Beginning with the Denver Nuggets, it is difficult to find anything negative to say about them.  They are led by Nikola Jokic, who in my opinion is the best player in the world. LeBron James, my favorite player, has been the best since I was alive, but at 41 years old he has nothing left to prove.

With Jokic, I am not sure we have ever seen a center with so few flaws in his game. He is not the quickest, but he can pass, score, rebound, and block. No other player is doing that now at his position.

Looking at the Nuggets, they are 5-5 over their last 10 games, and Nikola Jokic has only been present in two of them. However, since being back he is averaging 25.2 points per game and also, he is averaging 12.0 rebounds per game, as well as 6.8 assists per contest as well. He leads the team in every statistical category except for blocks. They also have 12 players who score at least five points per game.

On the other hand, the Pistons still have firm control over the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 8-2 over the last 10 games and on a three-game winning streak. Cade Cunningham leads the charge, averaging a near double-double with 25.3 points per game and 9.8 assists per game. Thirteen other players also average at least five points per game.

In the first half, it was not the best play from the Nuggets, as sloppy play put them behind early in the first quarter at 32-27. In the second quarter, it was pretty much the same as the Nuggets looked flat, as their jumpers were not falling, and the Pistons took advantage, on the heels of Cunningham, who at the half already had 17 points.

The second half started off with a similar chain of events. In the third quarter, the Pistons lead grew to 20 points. The Nuggets were able to cut that lead to 14, but it was all for nothing as they could not close the quarter out on a good note, still down 93-80.

The fourth quarter saw a different Nuggets team, as they kept chipping away at the Pistons lead. They scored 41 points in this quarter. At one point, they were down by just two. It was a Tobias Harris three that put the game away, making the comeback attempt fall short, with the Pistons winning 124-121.

Jamal Murray finished with 32 points and Jokic had 24, with Cunningham's 29 points getting it done for the Pistons.

Victor: Denver Nuggets vs New York Knicks 

The Denver Nuggets took their sole trip to the World’s Most Famous Arena on Wednesday to battle the New York Knicks. The 3-time league MVP, returned for his fourth game, after missing a month of action, nursing a bone bruise in his left knee. 

Prior to going down, Jokic was nothing short of spectacular, averaging 29.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 10.5 assists a game. Jokic will turn 31 years of age on the 19th of this month, but the league’s best player has clearly not shown any evidence of slowing down. With age and experience, Jokic finds clever ways to continue to be an unstoppable force. 

Since he has returned, his minutes have been minimally managed as the team takes a more cautious approach. As you would expect though, Jokic does not seem to be affected post-injury, scoring 71 points since he has returned. Denver had gone 10-6 in Jokic’s absence, in large part due to Jamal Murray, who will now play in his first All-Star game of his career, next Sunday. 

In this game, they showed why they are such a force in the west, and in the league. Jamal Murray finished with 39 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 47 minutes of play, and looked in playoff form down the stretch. Jokic added 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in 44 minutes of this overtime thriller. 

The Knicks came into this matchup on a 7-game winning streak. This was a great response, and somewhat of a recovery for the Knicks as they had lost their last 9 of 11 games prior. New York played 11 guys in this lengthy game, and the Knicks, just like Denver, had six players in double figures. 

As one can imagine, Jalen Brunson was the star for the Knicks, leading all scorers with 42 points on the night, as well as adding eight rebounds and nine assists.

Mikal Bridges unfortunately had one of his more forgettable games in the blue and orange. He scored only five points in the game, with his only two field goals coming late, and had a crucial turnover that almost cost the Knicks. Bridges tends to have these games every now and then, but he usually responds well in his next game. 

Toward the end of this game, Bridges committed a crucial foul as time was expiring and Christian Braun, hit two free throws to tie the game in OT and send it to double OT. However, The Knicks ended up holding off the Nuggets in this game, 134-127. 

Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 24 points and 12 rebounds, and OG Anunoby added 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. This was a major win for the Knicks, as they extended their winning streak to eight games, and are now in a battle to maintain a high seed as the playoffs approach.

Darren Worrell can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu.

Victor Lisboa can be reached at victor.lisboa@student.shu.edu.

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