Fans bow down to Nikola Jokic for notching rarest of rare milestones

Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a crucial 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The reigning MVP finished the night with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists and two steals. Jokic tallied his third straight triple-double and seventh in eight games.

Jokic’s performance ensured he finished the season averaging a triple-double, joining Russell Westbrook (4x) and Oscar Robertson (1x) in the highly exclusive list.

Fans reacted to the latest mind-boggling accomplishment by Nikola Jokic:

“Gotta be in the goat conversation”

One fan said:

“And somehow not the mvp. Got it”

Another fan added:

“The joker is insanely good”

@HLMoonIt continued:

Jokic will retire a top 10 player

@Communitypicks0 reacted:

Holy s**t the joker is actually insane

Per NBA.com:

“It became statistically certain on Friday night when Nikola Jokić got his fourth assist of Denver’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. That assist was his 700th of the season — so, even if he doesn’t get another before Sunday’s end of the regular season, which would be his 70th game, he is assured of averaging no worse than 10.0 assists.”

The last player to finish a season averaging a triple-double was Russell Westbrook, Jokic’s current teammate in Denver, during the 2020-21 season. Brodie put up 22.2 points, a league-leading 11.7 assists and 11.5 rebounds per game. The campaign was the fourth time (2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19) Russ ended a season with a triple-double.

Oscar Robertson was the first to accomplish the feat during the 1961-62 season with the Cincinnati Royals. Nikola Jokic is averaging 29.8 PPG, 12.8 RPG and 10.8 APG before Sunday’s game in Houston.

The Denver Nuggets needed Nikola Jokic’s all-around brilliance to beat the Memphis Grizzlies

The Denver Nuggets entered the last 12 minutes trailing the Memphis Grizzlies 95-92. After a dazzling third-quarter show, Nikola Jokic sat on the bench to open the final frame.

The reigning MVP came in with 9:26 remaining and delivered 10 points, four assists and three rebounds. Denver ran its offense through Jokic every time it had possession. The Serbian decided how the Nuggets would attack the Grizzlies’ defense.

With Nikola Jokic dictating the game with his scoring and playmaking, the Nuggets carved the Grizzlies for 25 points. Denver’s defense, which had Jokic in the middle, forced the visiting team to 4-for-18 shooting, including 1-for-6 from deep in the fourth quarter.

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Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael’s background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich’s genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael’s reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael’s children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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Edited by Michael Macasero