Jokic joins Chamberlain with triple-double mark as Nuggets obliterate Bucks
Mar 3, 2021, 6:44 AM
When the Denver Nuggets drafted Nikola Jokic with the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, nobody would have expected that he’d ever be mentioned in the same breath as basketball immortal Wilt Chamberlain. And yet, here we are.
On Tuesday, Jokic recorded his 50th career triple-double, joining “The Big Dipper” as the only two centers to ever reach that mark. With only one more assist the night before, Jokic could have passed him; that’s how dominant the Nuggets’ unconventional superstar has become. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, only Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson reached 50 faster.
“The Big O.” “Magic.” “The Stilt.” Their full names haven’t been necessary for most basketball fans in decades; that’s the company that Denver’s “Joker” is keeping.
In his usual, low-key manner, Jokic celebrated his accomplishment.
“It’s nice, of course. It is something (in) my legacy to put behind me,” he explained. “It’s cool just to be in that group of guys, especially with one of the best players to ever play the game. Just a nice accomplishment.”
Jokic’s ninth triple double of the season — 37 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists — is even more notable given that he’s had another six games in which he’s missed another by only one rebound or assist, including Monday’s win over the Bulls, which could have given him three in three games.
Jokic led the way in the dominant, 128-97 victory, but Jamal Murray continued his exemplary play, scoring 24 points of his own, many of them down low, as his post game continued to impress. The Nuggets moved to 3-0 on their current road trip, with only the Pacers standing in a the way of a four-game winning streak to enter the All-Star break.
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NEXT UP: Nuggets (20-15) at Pacers (15-18) | Thursday, Mar. 4 at 6:00 p.m.
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TEAM NOTES
• On Tuesday, Nikola Jokic joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two centers to have 50 or more triple-doubles. Chamberlain, with 78, still maintains a sizable lead, and was due a mention on Tuesday anyway; on March 2nd, 1962, Chamberlain scored 100 points in the Philadelphia Warriors’ win over the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pa. The nearly untouchable record has now stood for 59 years.
• Head coach Michael Malone has been impressed by the shorthanded Nuggets’ effort in the third of four games on the current road trip. “You have every reason to just walk into this game… just to say, ‘Well, it’s been a good road trip so far.’ Our guys never did that. That was never our approach. We prepared to win.”
• Malone has kept the trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. together , and it’s been paying dividends. “It’s not just for today, it’s for tomorrow as well,” Malone explained. We know what we have in Nikola, we know what we have in Jamal, and I think we’re all starting to see what we have with Michael Porter.”
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PLAYER NOTES
• Nikola Jokic’s 50 triple-doubles stands in ninth place, all-time, just ahead of Nuggets’ legend Lafayette “Fat” Lever (43). Jokic is the fourth-highest active player as the league has embraced multidimensional talents like Russell Westbrook (156, 2nd), LeBron James (97, 5th) and James Harden (53, 8th). Seven of the top 14 names on the all-time list are current players.
• Will Barton has adjusted well to the focus placed on the Nuggets’ trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., filling in all over the box score. Against the Bucks, Barton scored an efficient 14 points with eight rebounds and five assists in a well-rounded performance.
• P.J. Dozier scored a season-high 19 points in 23 minutes. Head coach Michael Malone has been slowly increasing his minutes, a concession to his recent injury as well as a need to have a reliable guard off the bench with Gary Harris, Facu Campazzo and R.J. Hampton all out with injuries of their own.
• Vlatko Cancar played big minutes (22) for the second consecutive game, and on Tuesday, he was effective in different ways, collecting seven rebounds, grabbing two steals and handing out an assist to go along with four points.
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THE FINAL WORD
“It’s just fun for everybody. We are playing for each other.” — Nikola Jokic.
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INJURY WATCH
• R.J. Hampton (COVID-19 protocol) missed the March 1 game and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Facundo Campazzo (COVID-19 protocol) missed the March 1 game and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Markus Howard (COVID-19 protocol) missed the March 1 game and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Gary Harris (left adductor strain) sat out the Feb. 21 game and is expected to miss more time.
• JaMychal Green (left shoulder sprain/contusion) being injured on Feb. 19. He is considered day-to-day.
• Paul Millsap (left knee sprain) didn’t return after halftime on Feb. 14. He is day-to-day.
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ROTATION (MINUTES)
Starters:
G Jamal Murray (38)
G Monte Morris (30)
F-G Will Barton (34)
F Michael Porter Jr. (25)
C Nikola Jokic (36)
Bench:
G-F P.J. Dozier (23)
F Vlatko Cancar (22)
F Zeke Nnaji (16)
C-F Isaiah Hartenstein (12)
C-F Bol Bol (2)
F Greg Whittington (2)