Nikola Jokic did it again on Wednesday night. Surely, by now you’ve heard about, if not seen, his incredible 55-point, 12-rebound, 6-assist performance on 18-23 shooting. But the amount of history the Joker made in the process is still pretty mind-numbing, even for his preposterously lofty standards.
For starters, Jokic put up 25 points in the first quarter alone, the highest scoring opening quarter by a center in NBA history. But it’s really the culmination of what he’s been doing for the past few games that’s even more incredible.
He’s now the first player to ever average a 35+ point triple-double while shooting 60% or better during a six-game stretch. Over those six games - all wins for the Nuggets - he’s averaging 35.8 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists per game on 73.9% shooting and 55.6% three-point shooting.
Jokic also set the new standard for the highest True Shooting Percentage over a five-game span while averaging 35 points or more. Prior to this run, Stephen Curry held the top eight spots on this leaderboard.
With the Nuggets playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Jokic also became the only player in league history to ever score 90+ points on 80% shooting over a span of two consecutive days.
And for the cherry on top, Jokic became the first player in the history of the NBA to record a 50+ point game, a 30/15/15 game, and a 25+ point game without attempting a single free throw all in the same season. And he did it in one month.
No reason for epic Jokic run to end
It feels like this is the end of a remarkable run, but there’s no reason to think it’s going to end any time soon. Jokic is just getting started, and he’s arguably playing the best basketball of his career. The stats are through the roof, and the efficiency has been even better.
The team is already managing the minutes of Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, who are both off to great starts, and the other two starters, Christian Braun and Cam Johnson, both left Wednesday’s game early with an injury.
For all the Nuggets’ depth, they are still as reliant on Jokic as ever. But with the extra rest and help, he’s more than up to the task. He appears to be thriving and is more than capable of putting the Nuggets on his back and carrying them as far as he can. So far, it looks like that might be pretty far. Get ready for a lot more absurd statlines and NBA history before this season is over.