Jokic Joins Elite Company
Nikola Jokic produced his 20th triple-double of the season, compiling 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists as the undermanned Denver Nuggets handled the Charlotte Hornets 119-105. The Nuggets played without their second and third-leading scorers — Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, respectively — who sat out due to injuries.
Jokic became just the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 20 triple-doubles in a season:
Oscar Robertson (5 times)
Russell Westbrook (4 times)
Wilt Chamberlain (2 times)
James Harden
Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets are undefeated this season when Jokic records a triple-double. Dating back to last season, the Nuggets have won 24 straight games in which Jokic has recorded a triple-double, tying Magic Johnson for the longest such streak in NBA history:
24 — Magic Johnson (Nov. 28, 1984–Nov. 8, 1987)
24 — Nikola Jokic (Feb. 26, 2022–Feb. 11, 2023)
23 — Draymond Green (Jan. 2, 2015–Oct. 28, 2019)
21 — Wilt Chamberlain (Jan. 27, 1967–Jan. 26, 1968)
20 — Russell Westbrook (Nov. 10, 2015–Oct. 30, 2016)
Jokic has recorded at least 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists while shooting 50% from the field in each of his last 36 games, the longest such streak in NBA history by a whopping 23 games. Wilt Chamberlain ranks second with a streak of 13 such games in a row in February 1967.
Jokic is averaging a triple-double for the season — 24.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per game — with a true shooting percentage of 70.0%. No player in NBA history has averaged at least 20 PPG with a true shooting percentage of 70% in a full season.
Kings Spoil Luka/Kyrie Debut
The Sacramento Kings spoiled the debut of the Dallas Mavericks’ star-studded new backcourt, pulling out a 133-128 win in overtime. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox scored 14 of his game-high 36 points in the extra session, setting a franchise record for most points scored in an overtime period.
Fox shot 12-23 from the field (52.2%) and made 12 of his 14 free throws. Fox also dished out five assists for his third straight 30-point, 5-assist game. It’s the fifth time he’s recorded at least 30 points and five assists in three consecutive games. The only other King since the ABA-NBA merger to produce three such games in a row in Mitch Richmond (Jan. 22–25, 1997).
Teammate Domantas Sabonis recorded his NBA-leading 44th double-double of the season, tallying 22 points and 14 rebounds with 10-12 shooting from the field (83.3%). Sabonis has season averages of 18.7 PPG, 12.2 RPG, and 6.9 APG with a field goal percentage of 61.1%. The only player in NBA history to average at least 15 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5 APG with 60% shooting from the field for a full season is Wilt Chamberlain in 1966-67*.
* Nikola Jokic is also on track to achieve the feat this season.
The Kings have scored at least 130 points 14 times this season, three more such games than any other team. It’s the most 130-point games in a season by the franchise since 1965-66, when they recorded 16 such games (and were known as the Cincinnati Royals).
In his first game back after a four-game absence, Luka Doncic produced 27 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, shooting 11-20 from the field. New backcourt mate Kyrie Irving had 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, making 11 of his 21 shots from the field.
It’s just the fourth time this season each member of a team’s starting backcourt has recorded at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the same game. Doncic has been involved in two of those pairings:
Ja Morant & Desmond Bane (Nov. 9, 2022)
Luka Doncic & Spencer Dinwiddie (Dec. 27, 2022)
Trae Young & Dejounte Murray (Jan. 2, 2023)
Doncic & Kyrie Irving (Feb. 11, 2023)
The Mavericks’ Josh Green scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, including 5-8 from 3-point range. In his five games since entering the starting lineup on February 4, Green has averaged 19.0 PPG with shooting percentages of 58.3% from the field and 42.3% from 3-point range.
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
Joel Embiid put up game highs of 37 points and 13 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers edged the Brooklyn Nets 101-98. Embiid now has 112 career 30-point, 10-rebound games, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most such games in franchise history (Charles Barkley, 128). Embiid shot 12-18 from the field and made 12 of his 13 free throws.
The Washington Wizards led the Indiana Pacers 80-57 at halftime, then cruised to a 127-113 victory. The Wizards shot 48-75 from the field with 12 3-pointers made, an effective field goal percentage of 72.0%. That’s the second-highest such figure in a game in franchise history. The scuffling Pacers have lost 15 of their last 17 games, the first time since the 2006-07 season they’ve lost at least 15 games in a 17-game span. Current head coach Rick Carlisle was concluding his first stint as Pacers’ head coach that season.
Trae Young scored 24 points and dished out a season-high 17 assists as the Atlanta Hawks blew out the reeling San Antonio Spurs 125-106. Young is averaging 25.9 PPG and 12.1 APG over his last nine games, with seven 20-point, 10-assist games over that span. The Spurs have lost 12 consecutive games, the second-longest losing streak in franchise history. The franchise record of 13 straight losses was set during the 1988-89 season.
Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 38 points and handed out a team-high five assists as the New York Knicks got by the Utah Jazz 126-120. Brunson has scored at least 20 points in each of his last eight games. He’s averaging 30.9 PPG and 6.3 APG over that span, with shooting percentages of 53.7% from the field, 42.5% from 3-point range, and 84.8% from the free throw line.
Jarrett Allen scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers upended the Chicago Bulls 97-89. Allen, who shot 10-13 from the field, has scored at least 10 points on 60% shooting from the field in each of his last 12 games, the longest such streak in franchise history by six games. It also matches the longest such streak since the ABA-NBA merger:
12 — Artis Gilmore (March 7–30, 1982)
12 — Gilmore (March 9–April 5, 1983)
12 — Otis Thorpe (April 11–Nov. 14, 1985)
12 — Jarrett Allen (Jan. 21–Feb. 11, 2023)
11 — Nikola Jokic (Jan. 9–Feb. 7, 2023)