DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic sat in front of his locker room quietly looking at his phone, apparently unimpressed that he had made history in the NBA just 30 minutes earlier.
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The three-time NBA MVP achieved the league’s first 30-20-20 triple-double in the Denver Nuggets' 149-141 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Jokic finished with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and a personal record of 22 assists.
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“It’s not supposed to be like this,” Jokic admitted. “I was talking to (Aaron Gordon) and he told me, ‘Those were 30 quiet points.’ I didn’t do anything special, it just seemed like everyone was in rhythm.”
How did Jokic achieve his historic record?
Jokic tied his franchise record with his 29th triple-double of the season, reaching it with his tenth rebound just 1:20 into the second half. That triple-double seemed like it was going to come from the start after he finished the first period with 10 points, six assists, and six rebounds. He went into halftime with 13 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. He approached the triple-double early on, finishing the first quarter with ten points, six assists, and six rebounds.
The 30-year-old Serbian is averaging a triple-double with 19 games remaining in the season. His 28.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game place him in the top three in all categories in the NBA.
“I can’t describe it, so don’t ask me to do it,” said Denver coach Michael Malone. “The guy is just an incredible player, and when you are one of a kind in this league, with the tremendous history of this league, that says a lot. There are many good players in this league, but Nikola, in my opinion, is in a class of his own.”
Overtime started quickly and he lifted the Nuggets after they squandered a 21-point lead. He scored five points, dished out five assists, and grabbed three rebounds in the extra period, playing almost 45 minutes in total.
He made a change of direction with the ball to start overtime, assisted Jamal Murray for two baskets, and assisted in a dunk and a layup by Christian Braun in a span of 13 seconds.
“It’s simply unique,” said Braun. “You will never see something like this again, ever. You will never see a player who does the things he does night after night.”
Jokic has 149 triple-doubles in his career, and on Friday it was the seventh time this season that he has had at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists, tying Oscar Robertson for the most in a season. His 22 assists are the most by a center in a game, but they are far from Scott Skiles' NBA record of 30, a mark that he is not worried about.