Nikola Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets get out of a slump. They defeated the Charlotte Hornets on the road by a final score of 119-105. The reigning MVP finished the night with a team-high 30 points, 10 assists, and 16 rebounds. The Nuggets also had seven different players score in double figures. While the win was nice for Nuggets Nation, Nikola Jokic made history yet again in a year where he has achieved milestone after milestone. What is crazy is that the franchise record the Joker broke was held by none other than himself.
Nikola Jokic Records 20th Triple-Double Against Charlotte Hornets
Jokic Breaks His Own Record
As alluded to already, Jokic recorded yet another triple-double as the Nuggets continue to reign supreme in the Western Conference. With his 20th triple-double of the season, the two-time MVP broke the franchise record for most triple-doubles recorded in a season. The original record: 19 triple-doubles recorded by Nikola Jokic as well. Jokic is also quickly climbing up the all-time career triple-double list. This season, Jokic also became all-time leader in triple-doubles recorded by a center as passed Wilt Chamberlain for this honor.
For his career, the Joker currently possesses 96 triple-doubles which is the sixth most in NBA history. He is quickly climbing this list and is creeping up on LeBron James, who recently became the all-time leader in points scored. Russell Westbrook is the current all-time leader in triple-doubles, but with him out of his prime, the Joker has a solid chance to catch him before his career is done. With all of this in mind, it is important to note the incredible campaign Jokic is having in other facets of his game. This very well could net him his third-straight MVP, a feat only a couple of hall of famers have accomplished in NBA history.
Nikola Jokic On Pace to Win Third Straight MVP
As alluded to already, Jokic could very be on his way to back-to-back-back MVPs. The other players to accomplish this in NBA history are Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. This season, Nikola Jokic has been a constant staple at the top of the MVP ladder. He is currently averaging 24.8 points, a league-high 10.1 assists, and 11.3 total rebounds per game. Should the Joker continue to lead the league in assists, he will become the first center to do so since Wilt Chamberlain did it back in the late 1960’s.
Not to mention, he is having one of the most efficient years of all time. The Serbian big man is shooting 63.2 percent and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He also possesses the league-best player efficiency rating of 31.9, a category he has led the league in the past two seasons as well. On top of all this, Jokic has led the Nuggets to the first seed in the Western Conference despite not having another All-Star on Denver’s roster this year. Per Covers.com, Jokic is still the favorite to win the league MVP at -130 odds making him just the fourth player in NBA history to three-peat as an MVP.
