Triple-double in first half ? No joking, Jokic
MILWAU K EE» Nikola Jokic assured earlier this week that he did not mind being left out of this weekend’s all-star festivities. He welcome the chance to rest up before the season’s stretch run.
But he put up quite the closing argument Thursday night that he deserved a trip to Los Angeles. He scored, rebounded and facilitated at a breakneck pace, recording what is believed to be the fastest triple-double in NBA history (15 minutes) as Denver darted past the Bucks 134-123 at the Bradley Center in one of their most impressive victories of the season.
“Even though you see it every day, it’s kind of like when I was fortunate enough to coach a guy like LeBron (James) or Chris Paul or Steph Curry,” coach Michael Malone said. “You recognize greatness. … Some of the plays that he makes and how he makes the right play over and over again and how he makes all his teammates better players, I do admire that. I do recognize that.
“No one in our organization takes it for granted. We feel we have the most dynamic, best facilitator, best playmaking young player in the NBA.”
Jokic, who finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and a careerhigh 17 assists in the latest eyepopping outing for the 6-foot-10 phenom, reached the milestone by finding Wilson Chandler for a corner 3-pointer with 1:54 left in the second quarter. He surpassed Jim Tucker of the Syracuse Nationals, who compiled the stat total in 17 minutes in 1955 for the fastest triple-double in the league’s history. It was Jokic’s 11th triple-double in his two-plus seasons in the NBA — with three
coming against the Bucks — his fifth this season and his fourth since Jan. 27.
“It just seemed like I made a lot of passes, so that’s why I got that many assists,” said Jokic, who also pointed out he was two turnovers shy of a quadrupledouble. He added: “I’m just playing the same way I play. Maybe I’m a little bit (more) aggressive. I don’t know. But I’m just playing the same way.”
Jokic outdueled Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s own monster performance, totaling 36 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. He and Jokic are the third opposing players to record 30-point triple-doubles in NBA history, and the first since Johnny Kerr and Dave DeBusschere in 1965.
The win was the Nuggets’ (3226) ninth in their last 12 games to enter the week off due to the allstar break with positive momentum. They also jumped back up to sixth place in a crowded Western Conference, holding the tiebreaker over Portland because of their current 2-1 headto-head lead in the season series.
Jokic’s outing was just one aspect of the Nuggets’ offensive flurry. They tied the franchise record with 24 3-pointers and shot 55.3 percent against the Bucks, who had won nine of their last 11 entering Thursday’s game and led the league in defensive efficiency during that span. Nuggets guard Gary Harris finished with 28 points on 10of-18 shooting (5-of-7 from 3point range) and Jamal Murray added 26 points (9-of-12 shoot- ing), five assists and five rebounds.
After Thursday’s final buzzer, a large group of fans — many of them waving Serbian flags — crowded the area behind the Nuggets’ bench. Jokic said this is common in cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and New York, where they are neighborhoods occupied by natives of Jokic’s home country. He snagged multiple cellphones to snap selfies with the group.
Maybe that support gave Jokic an extra dash of motivation, he confessed. But those fans were treated to one of Jokic’s finest performances — and perhaps the fastest triple-double in NBA history.