Nikola Jokic on Thursday became the third player in NBA history to record at least one triple-double against every opponent in the league, going 10-for-10 from the floor and finishing with 21 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 130-110 win over the Washington Wizards.
Michael Porter Jr had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the defending champions, who returned from the All-Star break and snapped a three-game skid.
Jokic’s triple-double was his 16th this season, second in the league to Domantas Sabonis’ 19. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are the other players with a triple-double against every opponent.
Photo: AP
“After I finish my career, it’s a legacy and milestone,” Jokic said. “I’m going to look back and I’m going to say that’s a really cool thing to do.”
Jokic nearly got there in the first half, with 10 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. It was his third triple-double with a perfect shooting performance — and he is the only player since the NBA-ABA merger to do that once, OptaSTATS said.
“What’s unique about him is he can impose his will in so many different areas,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Some guys were great scorers, but Nikola, he can score, he can rebound, he can play-make. He can just impact the game across the board. As we always talk about, he’s just the definition of greatness.”
Jamal Murray, who missed Denver’s previous game with tibia inflammation, had 18 points, eight assists and three steals.
Kyle Kuzma had 31 points and 13 rebounds for the Wizards, who matched their worst skid of the season with their ninth straight loss.
Deni Avdija, who averaged 28.3 points and shot 61.5 percent in Washington’s previous four games, was held to five points on two-of-11 shooting.
Washington shot 38.8 percent from the field and fell to 1-34 against opponents with winning records.
Jordan Poole, moved out of the starting lineup by interim coach Brian Keefe, scored 18 points on four-of-17 shooting.
“We should have a sense of urgency because we had lost eight in a row,” Kuzma said. “That urgency should be there and we’re just off the break. We’re not making no excuses. We have no pity. Nobody really cares. We’ve got to ... just show some heart.”
Aaron Gordon scored 17 points for Denver while Christian Braun and Peyton Watson were productive off the bench. Braun had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Watson finished with 11 points and four blocks.
Denver toyed with Washington defensively, regularly beating the Wizards with backdoor cuts that led to high-percentage and often uncontested scoring opportunities at the rim.
Despite making just four of their 18 three-pointers in the first half, the Nuggets went 28 of 37 (75.7 percent) from inside the arc to help build a 72-49 halftime lead.
Denver finished with a season-high 88 points in the paint.
Elsewhere on Thursday, it was:
‧ 76ers 96, Knicks 110
‧ Bulls 112, Celtics 129
‧ Cavaliers 109, Magic 116
‧ Jazz 107, Hornets 115
‧ Kings 127, Spurs 122
‧ Mavericks 123, Suns 113
‧ Pacers 129, Pistons 115
‧ Pelicans 127, Rockets 105
‧ Raptors 121, Nets 93
‧ Thunder 129, Clippers 107
‧ Warriors 128, Lakers 110
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