The Denver Nuggets need Nikola Jokic out there.
The Serbian star missed some games due to undisclosed personal reasons.
With the rest of the group underperforming, they didn’t look like the championship contender they were expected to be.
Notably, Jokic didn’t miss a beat despite missing some time.
He returned to face the Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks, and while he couldn’t lead his team to another win, he made history with his latest performance.
As noted by NBA.com/Stats on X, the former second-round pick just joined a very exclusive club of players with at least three consecutive triple-doubles.
Only Doncic, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook (2x), and Oscar Robertson (4x) did it in the past.
Nikola Jokić becomes only the 5th player to record 3-straight 30+ point triple-doubles, joining:
Oscar Robertson (4x)
Russell Westbrook (2x)
Michael Jordan
Luka Dončić https://t.co/IzTr69w7jM pic.twitter.com/9nprrrdKoX— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) November 23, 2024
The Mavericks had no answer for Jokic, who finished the game with 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists.
He’s currently averaging a whopping 30.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game on 56.5% from the floor, which is remarkable even by his absurd standards.
Even so, the Nuggets are just 8-6 for the season.
They overcame a slow start, but losing Jokic for three games took a big toll on their recent level.
Mike Malone’s team has also dealt with some key injuries, with Aaron Gordon missing time and Jamal Murray not looking healthy to start the season.
Jokic has never been known for his scoring prowess, not because he’s not capable of putting up 30 points a night but because he’s always enjoyed getting his teammates involved and has been a pass-first guy for most of his career.
But if his supporting cast fails to step up, he might have to do this kind of thing on a nightly basis.
NEXT:
Stephen A. Smith Reveals Why Nikola Jokic Is Not Considered A Top-5 Player Of All-Time
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