New Orleans Pelicans rookie center Derik Queen earned the nickname “Baby Jokic” during his college career at Maryland. He showed why on Wednesday night. The Pelicans hosted the Denver Nuggets and center Nikola Jokic at Smoothie King Center. Queen held his own in his second game against the three-time league MVP. In Denver’s 125-118 victory, Queen — the 13th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft — scored a season-high 30 points on outstanding 12-of-18 shooting from the field. The 20-year-old rookie also had nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Jokic, meanwhile, scored 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and had 12 assists and 11 rebounds. It was his third straight game with a triple-double, which is what fans have come to expect from one of the best players in the world. Queen, of course, has a long way to go to reach the heights that Jokic has in his career. He still may never do so. The 30-year-old veteran is at the pinnacle of the sport. The Nuggets standout has earned five first-team Al
