On Friday, Nikola Jokić stuffed the statistics sheet in an never seen in the history of the NBA.
In a 149-141 prolongation victory against the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets superstar posted a match of 30-20-20, an unprecedented statistics perfectly in accordance with its large capacity of all time as a large man. To be more precise, he finished with 31 points out of 13 on 22, 22 assists and 21 rebounds in 45 minutes.
More than three flights to make a good measure. He particularly picked up in overtime, marking or helping seven of the eight Denver goals. Overall, he was responsible in one way or another for 35 of their 57 goals on the field on Friday, closer to half of their 43 rebounds.
Good enough for a guy who was initially questionable for the game with an ankle injury. He has repeatedly created score opportunities throughout the game.
Jokić not only published a new type of triple-double, but he also broke the record of Wilt Chamberlain for most of the assists by a center, who was previously seated at 21 years old. The global record remains Scott Skiles with 30, set up in 1990.
“It’s going to be nice to end my career on my sofa, and think I had a very good match,” Jokic told ESPN thereafter.
The accomplishment is particularly suitable for Jokić. The reigning MVP is an easy answer for the best big man who passes in the history of basketball, but there is also an elite rebounder and a dangerous scorer. At 30, he is already third of all time in triple doubles with 159, and you could say that he deserves to be credited with another since he has just published two in the same game.
At the rate he is going, he could easily exceed the Russell Westbrook teammate, currently at 202, for the head of all time.
“I didn’t know he had 30-20-20 and I didn’t know he was the first to do so,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “I think I heard Nikola say to Russ:” Haven’t you got 30-20-20 before? “”
This performance saved the nuggets from an embarrassing loss at the 29-34 Suns. Denver led by 21 points in the third quarter, but a furious return of the Suns forced overtime and almost cost the major Nuggets field in the battle for the second place of the Western Conference.
Jokić entered on Friday with an average of career summits in both points (28.8), assists (10.4), flights (1.8) and 3 -point shot (43.9%) while ranking third in the NBA in rebounds. He won three MVP prizes with lower figures, but There remains the oppressed in Vegas Behind the Oklahoma City Thunder star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
A 30-20-20 game is a hell of a way to have certain voters reconsidered.