Nikola Jokic, take a bow. The Serbian superstar put his team on his back once again, logging his 34th triple-double of the season as Denver took down the Memphis Grizzlies 136-119. Nikola Jokic finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds to go along with his 10 assists, while Jamal Murray led the way for Denver with 26 points.
Denver Takes Over After Halftime
Memphis took a 72-68 lead into halftime thanks to some efficient scoring from behind the arc, but the Denver offense proved to be inevitable. They won the third quarter 39-22 to not only take the lead but also give themselves some breathing room, then cruised in the fourth to push their win streak to double digits.
Memphis’ Injury Woes Continue During Another Loss
A lengthy injury report for Memphis forced the Grizzlies to go deep into their bench, with Cedric Coward leading the way with 27 points.
Coward, Clayton Jr., and Hendricks all finished with a +14 +/-, while the rest of the Grizzlies finished deep in the negatives. Since losing is the top priority in Memphis right now, they were rested for the second half to allow their G-League players to take over the tank job. They are now 1-11 in their last 12 games, including a sixth straight defeat last night in Denver.
Jokic’s Historic Season Fuels Denver’s Playoff Push
Denver now sits in third place in the West but holds only a 1.5-game lead over the Lakers and Rockets with three games left in the regular season. Their recent hot streak has been fuelled by strong offensive showings, as they have scored 115+ in all ten wins, 120+ in nine of those ten, and 130+ in six of those contests.
Jokic continues to dominate on both ends of the floor, and a healthy Nuggets side will prove to be a tough team to slow down in the postseason.
If Nikola Jokic’s 34th triple-double of the season wasn’t impressive enough, he also became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists in the same season. Jokic averages 12.9 rebounds and 10.9 assists this season to go along with 27.8 PPG.
His rebound tally is the second highest of his career, while his 10.9 assists are a new career high, as the Nuggets’ center continues to shatter what are already sky-high expectations. The Nuggets are flirting with the most efficient offense in NBA history, and it is due to their lynchpin at center. Jokic has transformed what is possible in the NBA and continues to break records while putting minimal effort on the floor. He is second all-time in triple-doubles behind Russell Westbrook, and his 34 this season are far and away the most in the league, with the next closest being 13 from Jalen Johnson. Jokic and the Nuggets made it look easy against the Grizzlies and carried all the momentum with the playoffs around the corner.
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