Nikola Jokic Reaches 100th Triple-Double, Boosts His MVP Prospects

Nikola Jokic reached his 100th triple-double, becoming only the 6th player in NBA history to reach this figure. The Joker didn’t have his usual stats in Houston last night, but the Nuggets defeated the Rockets without any problems, 133-112.

Midway through the third period, Alperen Sengun blocked Jokic, who would later get a few offensive rebounds while trying to score next to the Turkish international and eventually reached the needed number of boards to complete his triple-double. At the end of the night, Nikola had 14 points, 11 boards, and 10 assists, hitting seven of his 11 shots from the field in 28 minutes on the floor.

When asked after the game what this achievement means to him, Jokic had a response that was a bit ironic due to the recent comments made on his account, which claimed that he pumps his stats.

“It’s easy when you are stat padding,” referring to Kendrick Perkins’ comments that he chases numbers.

Though, after that, the back-to-back MVP had a more relaxed answer.

“But all the, let’s say, achievements, awards, contracts or whatever, it’s just — I don’t want to say coming naturally — but you don’t chase it. It’s really nice.”

Jokic has 100 triple-doubles, six fewer than LeBron and seven more than Jason Kidd. Magic Johnson recorded 138, Oscar Robertson 181, and Russell Westbrook, who is topping the list, 198. The way the Joker plays right now, we could easily see him pursuing Westbrook, who isn’t as sharp as before and whose stats significantly dropped in the past two years.

The Joker currently averages a triple-double this year. When you type Nikola Jokic stats, you’ll see that the Serb averages 24.8 points, 11.7 boards, and 10 assists, with a great shooting percentage of 63.3%. And we need to add that he isn’t focusing on scoring at all; plus, the Nuggets’ head coach, Mike Malone, uses every chance to pull Jokic on the bench and keep him healthy and rested for the playoff challenges.

Denver is currently the best team in the Western Conference with 44 wins and 19 losses, and they are battling for the top seed in the league as well. The competition in the West is harsh, with the Nuggets having a few big rivals for the conference’s crown, like the Suns, Warriors, Clippers, Grizzlies, etc.

Congrats to Nikola Jokic of the @nuggets for becoming the 6th player in NBA history to reach 100 career triple-doubles! pic.twitter.com/ZVx7B4sOWE

— NBA (@NBA) March 1, 2023

Also, Nikola is making a strong case for this year’s NBA MVP award, which would be his third in a row. Only three players managed to do the same in the past, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. For the moment, Jokic has big competition in Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum, but if his Nuggets keep the top spot in the West or take the top seed in the league, it seems that the Sombor-born fella would make a three-peat.

Regarding the game in Houston, the Nuggets were controlling the situation throughout the entire event. Jamal Murray had 32 points, 12-for-18 from the field, with six assists and four boards. Michael Porter Jr. ended the night with 17 points, while Bruce Brown got off the bench with 15 buckets. The team from Colorado shot 57.6%.

Up next, they have a three-game homestand. This short stretch at the Ball Arena starts with Memphis, continues against the Toronto Raptors, and ends with the game against the Chicago Bulls. Beating the Grizzlies, who are holding the second spot, would be a big step towards securing the No.1 in the conference.