NFL

Nikola Jokic in rare company after 40-point, 27-rebound triple-double

19 December، 2022

20 1 minute read

DENVER — Nikola Jokic had 40 points and a career-high 27 rebounds in yet another triple-double to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-115 on Sunday night.

Jokic also had 10 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season and 81st overall. He is the third player in NBA history to record at least 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who did it four times, and Elgin Baylor.

Other than Jokic, Chamberlain is the only other player to put up a stat line of at least 40-27-10, which he also did four times, the last was when he had 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists for Philadelphia on March 18, 1968.

Others have come close, but not matched the 40-27-10 line: Baylor had 52 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists on Dec. 13, 1961. DeMarcus Cousins had 44 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 22, 2018. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a 44-point, 20-rebound, 11-assist game on Feb. 26, 1972 and Oscar Robinson finished with 42 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a game on Jan. 9, 1965.

Jokic, who joined Dallas’ Luka Doncic as the second player with a 40-point triple-double this season (Doncic has three), sealed Denver’s victory on Sunday with two free throws with 13 seconds left.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he didn’t realize the numbers Jokic was putting up during the course of the game, particularly the amount of rebounds.

“I didn’t know it was a 40-27-10 night but I knew he was having another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,” Malone said. “And it’s not just about Nikola. It’s about his ability to make every one of his teammates better. Yeah, Nikola is a generational talent.”

Jokic’s rebounds supercharged the other aspects of his game, helping the Nuggets get defensive stops and igniting Denver’s transition game with quick outlet passes to teammates off the rebounds. But many of the rebounds also came from just happening to be in the right place at the right time, Jokic said.

“To be honest, I think…