Jokić's stat line
- Nikola Jokić finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists late in Denver's Game 1. (x.com) - Social feeds praised him as 'too smart, too big, too strong' for his influence on both ends. (x.com) - His all-around performance helped frame the early Western Conference storylines as series play replaced bracket speculation. ( )
Nikola Jokić opened Denver’s first-round series with another playoff triple-double as the Nuggets beat Minnesota 116-105 on Saturday, April 18. (espn.com) Jokić finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in 40 minutes, according to ESPN’s box score, while Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points and went 16-for-16 at the free-throw line. (espn.com, nbcsports.com) Denver trailed 62-61 at halftime, then outscored Minnesota 29-17 in the third quarter to take control of a game ESPN described as a physical opener. (espn.com, nbcsports.com) The stat line mattered because this was not a play-in game or a one-night bracket debate; it was Game 1 of a Western Conference series that many outlets treated as one of the first round’s marquee matchups. (cbssports.com, nbcsports.com) Jokić’s opener also fit his season-long profile. ESPN lists him at 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game in the 2025-26 regular season, with Denver closing the year at 54-28. (espn.com, espn.com) By recording another postseason triple-double, Jokić added to a playoff résumé that already made all-around production feel routine rather than unusual. NBC Sports said Game 1 was his 22nd career postseason triple-double. (nbcsports.com) Minnesota still showed why the matchup is expected to stay tight. The Timberwolves scored 62 points in the first half and had Denver under pressure before the Nuggets’ third-quarter swing. (espn.com) The next test comes quickly: CBS Sports’ first-round schedule lists Game 2 in Denver for Monday, April 20, as Minnesota tries to prevent the series from turning into an early Denver runway. (cbssports.com)
