Jokic becomes first NBA player with 30, 20, 20 triple double
On Friday night, the Denver Nuggets welcomed in the Phoenix Suns in the middle of their race of the Western Conference. In their rainbow city connect jerseys, the Nugs were able to catch the 149-141 overtime victory, riding off Nikola Jokić’s 31 points, 22 assists, and 21 rebounds.
This was the first 30 point, 20 assist, and 20 rebound triple double in NBA history, and Jokić’s 29th triple double of the season. The second most is LeBron James with 10.
Jokić only sat for a minute on Friday and put together one of the greatest games in NBA history. It was a strange performance by the Nuggets, as they allowed a 21 point comeback from the Suns who forced overtime.
Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun both had 20-point performances, with AG’s seven triples for 27 points, and Braun’s 25 off 72% shooting from the field, but it was Jokić with the deserved spotlight post game.
We could be watching the greatest run by a single player in NBA history. Just across the last four seasons, he has racked up three MVP awards, conference finals and NBA Finals MVP, four All-NBA and All-Star nods, and led the Nuggets to their first NBA Championship in 2023.
He makes every player around him better. When he’s on the court, the Nuggets improve in every single recorded stat category, including a +24.6 points per possession rate and even takes the team down 2.7% in turnovers.
See if Nikola Jokić the Nuggets can bounce-back after a loss on Sunday, as they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday at 6 p.m., streamed live on NBA TV.