Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets currently own the third seed in the West, largely due to his excellent play. Here are his five best games this season.
Nikola Jokic has had a season to remember thus far, averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game on .528/.314/.813 splits. He’s one of the most complete offensive players in the NBA, and his 39 double-doubles and 12 triple-doubles rank him at seventh and second in the league respectively.
He made his second All-Star team this year, is on track to make his second All-NBA team and his play is the primary reason his Denver Nuggets currently sit at third in the Western Conference with a 43-22 record.
To determine the Joker’s best games of the season, several factors were taken into consideration. Namely, the outcome of the contest, the strength of the opponent, the quality of the team’s opposing big men, and of course, Jokic’s raw counting stats and efficiency. Given these criteria, games ending in defeat or against weak or injured opponents were taken down a peg.
On Mar. 1 the Nuggets took down the Toronto Raptors by a score of 133-118. While Jokic’s stats were excellent in this game and his team got the victory, the Raptors were without Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, two excellent defenders who would have been tasked with slowing down Big Honey. In their absence, Jokic feasted to the tune of 23 points, 18 boards and 11 dimes on a true shooting percentage of 76.9.
Some other honorable mentions include a 39 point triple-double in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 2, a 29-point, 13-rebound and nine-assist win against the Portland Trail Blazers two days later on Feb. 4, and a 31 point triple-double in a victory against the Memphis Grizzlies back on Dec. 28.
While each performance was tremendous, five others were still superior. Here are Nikola Jokic’s five best games this season.