Walker Kessler joins Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokic on short NBA list

Posted by author February 27, 2025 NBA

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Utah lost to the Sacramento Kings 118-101 on Wednesday night even though Jazz center Walker Kessler compiled a set of stats that had been achieved by only two other players, who have seven NBA MVP awards between them.

At the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the former Auburn standout had 25 points, 14 rebounds and five assists while making all 10 of his field-goal attempts.

The only other players in NBA history who have had a game in which they recorded at least 25 points, 14 rebounds and five assists while shooting 100 percent from the floor are four-time NBA MVP Wilt Chamberlain and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Chamberlain compiled six such games, including four for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1966-67 season. Two of those games came on back-to-back nights.

The only game meeting those stat minimums since Chamberlain’s last such performance on March 11, 1969, for the Los Angeles Lakers was posted by Jokic for the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 28, 2023.

Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists with 11 field-goal attempts in Denver’s 142-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Chamberlain’s games included:

30 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists with 12 field-goal attempts in the 76ers’ 136-121 victory over the Lakers on Feb. 17, 1966.
28 points, 30 rebounds and seven assists with 13 field-goal attempts in the 76ers’ 138-130 victory over the Lakers on Dec. 2, 1966.
27 points, 22 rebounds and seven assists with 11 field-goal attempts in the 76ers’ 127-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 19, 1967.
32 points, 30 rebounds and nine assists with 15 field-goal attempts in the 76ers’ 119-108 victory over the Lakers on Jan. 20, 1967.
42 points, 30 rebounds and 10 assists with 18 field-goal attempts in the 76ers’ 149-118 victory over the Baltimore Bullets on Feb. 24, 1967.
34 points, 27 rebounds and seven assists with 14 field-goal attempts in the Lakers’ 137-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons on March 11, 1969.

Kessler is the third player to go 10-for-10 from the floor in an NBA game this season, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen and the Chicago Bulls’ Mata Buzelis. Allen was 10-for-10 in a 135-116 victory over the Washington Wizards on Oct. 26, and Buzelis went 10-for-10 in a 133-124 victory over the Miami Heat on Feb. 4.

Kessler’s performance was the sixth in franchise history in which a Jazz player made all his shots while taking at least 10. The most recent had been Karl Malone, when he was 12-for-12 in a 111-91 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Feb. 3, 2001.

Kessler entered the game leading the NBA in shooting percentage at .720.

Kessler’s point total is the second-highest of his career. He scored 31 points in a 121-113 loss to Sacramento on March 25, 2023. Kessler matched his career high for assists on Wednesday night.

The game was an rarity in another way for Kessler, too. It was only the third of his 45 this season in which he did not record a blocked shot.

Before Wednesday night’s game, Kessler had averaged 11.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.4 blocked shots per game in the 2024-25 season.

Utah plays the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 p.m. CST Thursday in Salt Lake City in its next game.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.