On January 11, Beijing time, in an NBA regular season game, the Nuggets defeated the Nets to secure their second consecutive victory. Nikola Jokic remained the top vote-getter in the Western Conference for the second round of All-Star voting, but he lost his first place on the NBA's official MVP list to SGA, ending his streak of eight consecutive weeks at the top of the MVP rankings due to two games of rest. In this game, he returned with a stunning performance, scoring 35 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, dishing out 12 assists, and making 4 steals, while Russell Westbrook contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Jokic's abilities are truly unparalleled. After casually dribbling the ball at the waist position, he can score in various ways, including hook shots, layups, and fadeaways. In one quarter alone, he went 8 for 6, scoring 14 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists, and making 2 steals, completing a 2+1 under the basket against two defenders.
The second quarter was Jokic's rotation time, during which he played only 7 minutes, going 2 for 5 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 6 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, and making 1 steal. By halftime, Jokic had already accumulated 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, seemingly on his way to another triple-double.
American media outlets believe that Jokic has the potential to dominate Shaquille O'Neal. In the third quarter, Jokic played 10 minutes, going 2 for 3 from the field and 1 for 1 from beyond the arc, scoring 6 points, dishing out 5 assists, grabbing 4 rebounds, and making 1 steal. He was just one rebound shy of completing his triple-double after three quarters, with a total of 26 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds.
In the fourth quarter, the Nets hit multiple three-pointers early, forcing Jokic back into the game. However, he struggled to receive passes, and the Nets managed to cut the lead to 5 points, prompting a timeout by Coach Malone. Soon after, Jokic completed his 15th triple-double of the season and the 145th of his career. He continued to score, achieving a 30-point triple-double, with Westbrook assisting on a dunk by Jokic, and Westbrook himself also recording a triple-double, marking the second time this season that both players achieved a triple-double in the same game. Jokic later assisted on a dunk by Westbrook, effectively sealing the game.
In the entire game, Jokic played 37 minutes, going 14 for 21 from the field, 1 for 1 from three-point range, scoring 33 points, dishing out 15 assists, grabbing 11 rebounds, and making 4 steals, with a shooting percentage of 66.7% and a perfect 100% from three-point range.
A Nuggets reporter commented, "We have once again witnessed Jokic and Westbrook achieving a triple-double in the same game; we are witnessing history."
This game set several records:
- Jokic's 145th triple-double;
- Westbrook's 202nd triple-double;
- The second time this season that both players achieved a triple-double in the same game, the only occurrence in the league;
- The 13th time in their careers that they have had a teammate record a triple-double;
- The second time in their careers that the historical triple-double king and the historical triple-double leader among centers achieved a triple-double in the same game.
Written by Yan Xiaobai: A tribute to Teacher Jokic.