It's become commonplace in the NBA for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to put up insane stat lines, but he one-upped himself on Friday night.
During a dogfight against the Phoenix Suns in Denver, Jokic became the first player in NBA history to post a stat line with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists in a single game. He finished the night with 31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists while leading the Nuggets to a very important 149-141 win over the Suns in overtime.
Jokic did it all in this one. He lifted the Nuggets to a big lead over the Suns and then threw haymakers at them down the stretch after the came back. Then, after a Kevin Durant 3-pointer forced overtime, Jokic was an unstoppable force as a scorer and as a playmaker as the Nuggets took home the W.
Jokic has put up plenty of stat lines that only Wilt Chamberlain has notched in the history in the NBA, but on Friday night, he put up one that he can claim all for himself.
Related Denver Nuggets NewsArticle continues below
This was a very important win for the Nuggets as they enter one of their most difficult stretches on the schedule. Denver is coming up on a back-to-back set against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder that tips off on Sunday afternoon, so Jokic and company will be happy to get all the wins they can.
The Nuggets are rolling towards the end of the regular season and trying to secure a top-two seed in the Western Conference, and wins like this one in close games against other playoff-caliber teams are the type of victories that can help them accomplish that.
While catching the Thunder for the top seed is extremely unlikely, getting home-court advantage through the first two rounds is crucial. Jokic doesn't have to keep putting up these kinds of stat lines on a nightly basis, but great performances like this one will make the Nuggets a very tough out this spring.