Nikola Jokić keeps getting triple-doubles and the Denver Nuggets keep winning.
Named to the NBA All-Star team for the seventh time in his career earlier in the evening, Jokić then recorded his fifth consecutive triple-double and 20th of the season in Denver’s 132–123 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. He didn’t play the fourth quarter, which has been the case for 14 of those triple-doubles.
Jokić scored 35 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and dished out 17 assists in the Nuggets’ victory. He shot 2-of-3 on 3-pointers, which included sinking a heave from 3/4 court as time expired in the third quarter.
Additionally, Jokić became the first NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to register 30 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists in a game.
“I think this is the best basketball of my life, that I have ever played. I’m feeling good out there,” Jokic said afterward, via the Denver Post. “I’m in shape. The ball is going in. I’m feeling good. I think I can influence the game on different levels.”
NIKOLA JOKIĆ’S 5TH STRAIGHT TRIPLE-DOUBLE IS A HISTORIC ONE 🤯
🃏 35 PTS | 22 REB | 17 AST 🃏
He joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to record a game with 35+ PTS, 20+ REB, & 15+ AST! pic.twitter.com/n1qRSKvdar
— NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2025
While Jokić has compiled five straight triple-doubles, he was only three assists and one rebound short of tying Russell Westbrook’s NBA-record streak of 11 consecutive triple-doubles.
On Jan. 12, Jokić had nine assists to go with 19 points and 18 rebounds. And on Jan. 4, he snatched nine rebounds with 46 points and 10 assists. To stretch this out a bit further, Jokić tallied nine assists with 41 points and 18 rebounds on Jan. 3. That would have given him 11 consecutive triple-doubles.
Christian Braun added 21 points, followed by 20 and eight rebounds from Michael Porter Jr. Denver has won 12 of their past 15 games. At 28–16, the Nuggets are still in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. Yet they’re now only one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the third seed and 1 1/2 games back from the Houston Rockets for the No. 2 spot.
For Sacramento, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points while Domantas Sabonis followed with 23 points and 19 rebounds. The Kings dropped to 23–21 for the season.
The Nuggets are off until Saturday when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at 3 p.m. ET.
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