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.
Pretty good for a guy who was initially questionable for the game with an ankle injury. He repeatedly created scoring opportunities throughout the game.
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.
“It’s going to be nice to go finish my career, on my couch, and think I had a really good game,” Jokic told ESPN afterward.
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.
“I had no idea he had 30-20-20 and I had no idea he was the first to do it,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I think I heard Nikola saying to Russ, ‘You didn’t get 30-20-20 before?'”
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 (10.4), 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.
