All eyes were on Ball Arena in Colorado on Sunday night as the Denver Nuggets faced off against the Boston Celtics.
The two best teams in the league were ready to duke it out, led by the star power of the biggest players, Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum.
Both of these guys have been playing fantastic basketball all season long and fans were excited and eager to see them battle against each other.
In the end, Tatum was good for 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while his peer Marcus Smart scored a team-high 30 points.
But it was Jokic who again impressed the most.
He notched 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists, giving him the first triple-double in the NBA this year.
Nikola Jokić recorded his NBA-leading 9th triple-double of the season Sunday vs the Celtics.
It was the 3rd time in his career that Jokić had a 30-Pt triple-double on 75% FG pct shooting.
He & Wilt Chamberlain (9) are the only players with multiple such games in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/kku7uZBBuf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 2, 2023
That was Jokic’s 9th triple-double of the season, a league-high.
This was the 3rd time in his career that he had a 30-point triple-double on 75% field goal percentage.
Jokic and none other than NBA icon Wilt Chamberlain are the only players with multiple such games in the history of the league.
Jokic has been terrific for years but he’s on a whole other level this season and is leading his team to new heights.
After years of fans wanting and needing more from their team, the Nuggets are now the top team in the Western Conference with a 24-12 record.
They are right now just above the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans so every single victory counts in a big way.
This means that Jokic’s performances are all the more important – but he isn’t letting his team down.
He is averaging a stunning 25.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 9.5 assists a game on a ridiculous 62% from the field.
He’s breaking records and turning heads yet again.
