Nikola Jokic Alone in NBA History With Unprecedented Finals Performance
Nikola Jokić’s name is etched into NBA record books once again after his dominant performance in the Nuggets’ 109–94 Game 3 win over the Heat on Wednesday night.
The two-time MVP finished the game with a remarkable 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, marking the first 30–20–10 game in NBA Finals history.
Wednesday’s performance is Jokić’s third 30-20-10 playoff game of his stunning postseason run. The other two instances came in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals vs. the Lakers (30 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists) and during Game 6 of the conference semifinals vs. the Suns (32 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists).
But Denver’s superstar wasn’t the only player to finish the win with a stat-stuffing triple double, as his teammate Jamal Murray finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. They are the first pair of teammates in history to record 30-point triple doubles in the same game, per StatMuse.
Jokić now has 10 triple doubles in this year’s playoffs, making it 17 in his playoff career thus far. He now ranks third on the NBA’s all-time playoff triple double list, per The Sporting News.
The Nuggets now lead the series 2–1, in large part thanks to the continued heroics of their Serbian superstar.