Jokic hits 89th triple‑double
Nikola Jokic recorded his 89th career triple‑double through three quarters of a game against the Grizzlies — a mark about 30 higher than the next player since the stat began being tracked in 1997–98. That kind of statistical gap underlines how central Jokic remains to Denver's versatile attack and why he's still a matchup problem late in games. It’s the sort of performance that keeps MVP‑level conversations alive. (x.com)
Nikola Jokic got to a triple-double against Memphis before the fourth quarter even started, and it was the 89th time in his career he had done that in only three quarters. The next closest player since this split started being tracked in 1997-98 is Russell Westbrook with 59. (youtube.com) (bvmsports.com) That line against the Grizzlies was 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in 31 minutes in a 136-119 Denver win on April 8, 2026. Denver pushed its winning streak to 10 games and improved to 52-28. (espn.com) (aol.com) A triple-double means hitting at least 10 in three box-score categories, and centers almost never pile up assists the way guards do. Jokic does it because Denver runs offense through a 6-foot-11 big man who throws passes like a point guard. (nba.com) (espn.com) That is why the three-quarter part matters. Most players need late-game minutes to chase the 10th rebound or 10th assist, but Jokic keeps reaching the mark before the game gets to its cleanup phase. (youtube.com) (sbnation.com) This was also his 34th triple-double of the 2025-26 regular season, and his season averages sat at 27.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.9 assists after the game. A center leading the league in rebounds and assists at the same time is the kind of stat line that bends the shape of an offense. (espn.com) Jokic is already second on the National Basketball Association regular-season career triple-double list behind Westbrook. National Basketball Association records pages and Basketball-Reference both list Westbrook first and Jokic second as of April 2026. (nba.com) (basketball-reference.com) Denver’s attack is built around that weird geometry. When Jokic catches the ball at the elbow or the top of the floor, defenders have to choose between a post scorer, a rebounder, and the team’s best passer in the same body. (nba.com) (espn.com) The result is that a 14-point night can still control a game more than a 35-point night from someone else. Memphis had to guard his passing lanes, his glass work, and Denver’s cutters all at once, and the Nuggets were up big enough that he only needed 31 minutes. (aol.com) (espn.com) That is why these records keep feeding Most Valuable Player talk even when the raw scoring race belongs to someone else. Jokic is stacking wins, leading the league in assists, and turning a stat that used to feel rare into something Denver can almost schedule in advance. (espn.com) (denverpost.com)
