Nikola Jokic put on a performance of a lifetime on Friday night. It may have taken overtime for the Denver Nuggets to escape with an overtime 149-141 victory against the Phoenix Suns, but Jokic didn't even need three quarters to log his twenty-ninth triple-double of the season.
With 10:22 remaining in the third quarter, Jokic grabbed his tenth rebound, completing his triple-double. Jokic didn't stop there, finishing Friday's game with 31 points, 22 assists, and 21 rebounds.
NBA coaches, players, and fans seem to be running out of superlatives for Jokic, who continues to reinvent the center position. While Jokic's coach, Michael Malone, has admittedly run out of ways to (positively) describe his star center, he didn't have a problem ranking Jokic and his historic performance.
Michael Malone: "Nikola Jokic is 1 of 1."
"Nikola, in my opinion, is in a class all by himself." pic.twitter.com/ozqQGAzOTH
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) March 8, 2025
"Nikola Jokic is one-of-one. He's the first player to ever have a 30-20-20 game. I can't describe him, so don't ask me to. The guy is just an incredible player. And when you are one-of-one in this league, with the tremendous history of this league, that says a lot. There's been a lot of good players in this league, but Nikola in my opinion is just in a class all by himself," Malone said.
Jokic's historic play is keeping the door open on the NBA MVP race. While the gambling world believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-300) has the award in the bag, Jokic (+220) and his triple-doubles are still putting up a fight.
The Jokic-Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP debate will be front and center during the Nuggets next game, as they'll take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m. EST on ABC.
Related: New MVP Frontrunner Emerges After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Loses Top Spot
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This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 1:44 AM.