Nikola Jokić stuffed the stat sheet in a way never before seen in NBA history on Friday.
In a 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets superstar posted a 30-20-20 game, an unprecedented stat line perfectly in line with his all-time great passing ability as a big man. To be more precise he finished with 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting, 22 assists and 21 rebounds in 45 minutes.
Plus three steals for good measure. He particularly took in over in overtime, either scoring or assisting on seven of Denver’s eight field goals. Overall, he was responsible in some way for 35 of their 57 field goals on Friday, plus nearly half of their 43 rebounds.
Jokić not only posted a new kind of triple-double, he also broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most assists by a center, which previously sat at 21. The overall record remains Scott Skiles with 30, set in 1990.
The accomplishment is uniquely apt for Jokić. The reigning MVP is an easy answer for the best passing big man in basketball history, but he also remains an elite rebounder and dangerous scorer. At 30 years old, he is already third all-time in triple-doubles with 159, and you could argue he deserves to be credited with another one considering he just posted two of them in the same game.
At the rate he’s going, he could easily surpass teammate Russell Westbrook, currently at 202, for the all-time lead.
That performance saved the Nuggets from an embarrassing loss to the 29-34 Suns. Denver led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, but a furious comeback by the Suns forced overtime and nearly cost the Nuggets major ground in the battle for second place in the Western Conference.
Jokić entered Friday averaging career highs in both points (28.8), assists (20.4), steals (1.8) and 3-point shooting (43.9%) while ranking third in the NBA in rebounds. He won three MVP awards with lesser numbers, but remains the underdog in Vegas behind Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
A 30-20-20 game is a heck of a way to make some voters reconsider.
Feb 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban laughs during the second half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at American Airlines
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams who are expected to be a contender at the end of the season. They are the defending NBA champions, so they feel like the
Nikola Jokić is still rewriting the record books — and treating it like just another day at the office. In a 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns
The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but as of late, they have been defined more by their struggles than their triumphs.The Knicks are 0-7