Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic posts legendary statline, joins Westbrook and Chamberlain

The Denver Nuggets entered Ball Arena on Wednesday night shorthanded to face off with their Western Conference rival in the Oklahoma City Thunder. After injuries to Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets trimmed down their rotation to 8 men and Jokic led the way, posting a historic statline as Denver upset Oklahoma City 124-122.

Many Nuggets rose to the occasion to tie the season series with OKC 1-1. Westbrook started at PG and delivered his best performance of the year with 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists on efficient shooting. Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun each scored 24 points and combined to shoot 10-18 from beyond the arc. Peyton Watson sealed the game with one of his 3 blocks.

Then there was the 3x MVP… Jokic recorded an insane 23 points, 20 rebounds, 16 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 39 minutes. He dominated every aspect of the game and after securing his 20th rebound, joined elite company for 20/20/15 games in the NBA. Funny enough, Westbrook is one of those two legends that the Joker joins.

Jokic, Wilt, and Russ are best in NBA history at stuffing the stat sheet

Jokic’s 23/20/16 game was his 4th triple-double of the season and his first 20/20/15 game of his career. That alone does not do him justice, as he is now just the 2nd player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to record a 20/20/15 game. The other player to do so… Westbrook back in 2019, when he faced off with the Los Angeles Lakers and recorded a 20/21/20 statline.

The difference in that contest was that it was a comfortable win for Westbrook and his iteration of the Thunder, as they won 119-103. In Jokic’s case, every single point, rebound, and assist was crucial in getting the win.

On the season, the 7-foot Serbian is now averaging 28.8 PPG (4th in the NBA), 13.5 RPG (1st in the NBA), and 11.0 APG (1st in the NBA). He is also doing so on prolific efficiency, with shooting splits of 53.2/51.4/80.0. He is easily making his case for his 4th MVP in the last 5 seasons so far this year.

Jokic, Westbrook, and Co. will suit up again on Friday against the Miami Heat, the same team that they won the NBA Championship against in 2023.