After a disappointing loss at the hands of the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets faced off against the defending champions Golden State Warriors tonight. Missing their star guard Jamal Murray, the Nuggets were missing some of their firepower against the Dubs.
Given that they were missing the offensive output of Murray, Nuggets’ role players had to step up, and they did with Bruce Brown scoring 20 points against the Dubs. But the clear standout player for Denver was yet again reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Finishing the game with 26 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds, ‘the Joker’ topped the charts for the Nuggets in all three categories.
A menace for the Dubs’ defense, the defending champions had no answer for Jokic and struggled to contain the 2-time MVP throughout the game. Although during the final moments of the game, it seemed like the Warriors were making a comeback, a cross-court assist by Jokic to Bruce Brown for an easy layup sealed the deal for the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic Closes In On Wilt Chamberlain’s Record Of Most Triple Doubles By A Center
The reigning MVP certainly showed why he is perhaps the best player in the league today. Showcasing his offensive repertoire against the Dubs, the Serbian was very impressive in his team’s first win of the season.
Triple-doubles by a center in NBA history:
78 — Wilt
77 — Jokic
One more. pic.twitter.com/ar92d3QDEh
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 22, 2022
With this triple-double performance, not only did Jokic lead the Nuggets to a win, but he also closed the gap on Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 78 triple-doubles, the best tally by a center. The Serbian now has 77 triple-doubles in his NBA career and is only two away from becoming the center with the most triple-doubles.
Given the form he has been in for the last few seasons, this record might be broken within the next five games. As far as the Nuggets go, they finally have their core of players healthy and it is finally great to see some co-stars alongside Jokic. With the roster they have built, they can really make a splash in the Western Conference. Can this Nuggets team become a championship contender?
