NBA: Nikola Jokic Makes History by Winning Against the Washington Wizards and Scoring a Triple-Double

In the Denver Nuggets’ 130-110 victory against the Washington Wizards on Thursday night, Nikola Jokic finished 10-for-10 from the field with 21 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists, making history as the third player in NBA history to post at least one triple-double against every team in the league.

The reigning champion Nuggets ended a three-game losing streak with a game led by Michael Porter, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds after the All-Star break.

Jokic’s 16th triple-double of the season was second in the league behind Domantas Sabonis’ 19. With 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists in the first half, he came close to reaching his goal.

The two other players with a triple-double against every opponent are LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.

With tibia inflammation keeping him out of Denver’s last game, Jamal Murray finished with eight assists, three steals, and eight points.

The Wizards suffered their ninth consecutive defeat, matching their longest losing streak of the year, despite 31 points and 13 rebounds from Kyle Kuzma. Deni Avdija was limited to five points on 2-of-11 shooting, down from his previous four game average of 28.3 points and 61.5% shooting.

Washington was 1-34 while playing against teams that had winning records, despite shooting 38.8% from the field. After being dropped from the starting lineup by interim coach Brian Keefe, Jordan Poole finished with 18 points on 4 of 17 shots.

Denver’s Aaron Gordon led the team with 17 points, while both Peyton Watson and Christian Braun contributed off the bench. Watson ended with 11 points and four blocks, while Braun finished with 12 points and ten rebounds.

Denver often defeated the Wizards with backdoor cuts that resulted in high-percentage and frequently uncontested shooting chances near the rim. Denver played with Washington defensively. Although the Nuggets only made four of their eighteen 3-point attempts in the first half, they were 28 of 37 (75.7%) from outside the arc to help establish a 72-49 halftime advantage.

Denver scored 88 points in the paint in the end, a season best.

With 2:04 left in the second quarter, Gordon’s two free throws gave the Nuggets a 26-point lead, extending their lead from 16 in the first quarter.

The Nuggets won nine of their next ten games after suffering three consecutive losses the only previous time this season.