We’re quickly running out of superlatives for Nikola Jokic.
On Thursday evening, the three-time MVP was named to the NBA All-Star team for the seventh time in his career.
Jokic then recorded his fifth consecutive triple-double and 20th of the season in the Denver Nuggets‘ 132–123 win over the Sacramento Kings, putting himself in rarefied air.
The Serbian finished with 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 17 assists, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to record a game with 35+ point, 20+ rebounds, & 15+ assists.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Chamberlain dropped the first 35/20/15 game back in 1968, meaning Jokic’s stat-line has not been seen in 57 years.
Chamberlain is one of the greatest players in history, with many of his statistical records deemed unbreakable.
The towering center once averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds in a single-season, and even scored 100 points in a game.
It’s rare any player is mentioned in the same sentence with Wilt as he hardly ever shares statistical feats.
But Jokic went one better than Chamberlain.
His performance against the Kings was the first 35/22/17 game in NBA history.
He also sat out of the fourth quarter, becoming the first player since 1996-97 to have at least five straight triple-doubles before the fourth quarter.
Jokic’s four straight triple-doubles while playing less than 36 minutes in each game is also an NBA-first.
“Jokic is really in the Jordan and Wilt conversations,” one fan said.
“Top 5 player all time. No question,” added another.
“Dude is unreal. A legend,” a third posted.
“Jokic just casually rewriting the history books again,” a fourth said.
Jokic entered the Kings game averaging 30.1 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.9 assists while shooting the NBA’s third-best percentage from three at 47.5%.
While Jokic equaling Wilt was big, his three-pointer at the end of the third quarter is perhaps what will be remembered the longest.
The one-time NBA champion caught an inbounds pass with 1.7 seconds left in the quarter, before turning and heaving the ball 66-feet and seeing it swish at the other end.
He barely celebrated as his team-mates mobbed him for hitting the sixth-longest shot in NBA history.
“When you play you want to make every shot,” Jokic said afterwards.
“I took it to make it and I did make it. It’s a lucky shot, not really a high-percentage shot, but I took it to make it. It’s three points. It’s going to help us.”
Jokic is a perennial MVP contender, but this season faces stiff competition for the award from Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
OKC have the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 36-8 record, and SGA is coming off a career-high 54 points against the Utah Jazz.
Jokic’s Nuggets are fourth out West (28-16), and even though he’s won the MVP three times previously, he feels like he’s playing the best basketball of his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
“I think this is the best basketball of my life, that I have ever played. I’m feeling good out there,” Jokic said.
“I’m in shape. The ball is going in. I’m feeling good. I think I can influence the game on different levels.”
The 29-year-old will now look to make it six triple-doubles on the bounce when Denver goes on the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.
https://talksport.com/basketball/2834177/nikola-jokic-denver-nuggets-wilt-chamberlain-record-triple-double/
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