The Denver Nuggets overcame the Memphis Grizzlies 117-109 on Friday night, and Nikola Jokić became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the season.
For the first time in his career, the three-time NBA MVP will average double digits for assists after putting up 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists, the fourth of which was his 700th of the season.
Russell Westbrook, Jokić’s teammate, is one of the other two players who have accomplished the remarkable feat four times: in 2020–21 with the Washington Wizards and in 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2018–19 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The other is Oscar Robertson, who played for the Cincinnati Royals from 1961 to 1962 and averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists.
Despite becoming a member of such distinguished company, Jokić seemed largely unconcerned about the accomplishment.
It is pleasant. That is something I never did before,” he added afterward. “I am at a loss for words. It is good.
The Serbian recorded his 34th triple-double of the season on Friday night. The only players who have ever recorded more are Robertson and Westbrook, the former twice.
Surprisingly, Jokić has recorded 23 more triple-doubles than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has 11 this season, the second-most in the NBA.
Jokić appears certain to lose out on MVP accolades, even though he also averaged a career-best in scoring, three-pointers made, and three-point percentage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder is the clear favorite.
Regarding Jokić, interim head coach David Adelman of the Nuggets remarked, “If he does not win the MVP, it is the greatest season of all time not to win the MVP.”
After trailing the Grizzlies by five points in the fourth quarter on Friday, Denver rallied for a thrilling 14-1 run in the last six minutes to give head coach Adelman his second victory in as many games.
Massive NBA scorelines set a new benchmark.
According to AP, five NBA games were decided by 30 points or more on Friday, marking the first time in the league’s history that so many games were decided by such a large margin on a single day.
One club that easily won was the Boston Celtics, who defeated the Charlotte Hornets 130-94 behind 20 points from Sam Hauser and 22 points from Payton Pritchard. With the win, the Celtics set an NBA record by winning 60 games in a season for the fifteenth time in their existence.
With 39 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, Luka Dončić continued his stellar play as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 140-109 to secure the third spot in the Western Conference.
The other three teams to win by 30 points or more were the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Chicago Bulls.
