NEW YORK — Nikola Jokic delivered an extraordinary performance with his 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists, becoming just the second player in NBA history to accomplish such a feat in a single game. The Denver Nuggets claimed a thrilling victory over the Brooklyn Nets, finishing 144-139 after an intense overtime battle on Tuesday night.
Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon contributed significantly for the Nuggets, each scoring 24 points, while Russell Westbrook added 22 points to the scoreboard. For the Nets, Dennis Schroder led the way with 28 points, followed by Cam Thomas with 26 and Cam Johnson with 20. Nic Claxton made a notable contribution with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Cam Thomas’s initial basket in overtime put the Nets ahead 127-125, but the Nuggets quickly regained control, scoring the next eight points and maintaining the lead for the remainder of the game.
In terms of key takeaways, the Nuggets have now secured four consecutive victories over the Nets. Notably, Jokic has recorded two triple-doubles in the first four games, and he has also scored at least 40 points on two occasions without those performances being tied to the triple-doubles.
On the other hand, the Nets showcased impressive stats, hitting season highs of 40 points in the first quarter and 72 points by halftime. However, they were without Ben Simmons, who sat out due to lower back injury management, marking his first missed game of the season.
A pivotal moment occurred when the Nets led by a single point with just 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Dorian Finney-Smith went to the foul line but managed to make only one of his two attempts, paving the way for Jokic to score an equalizing basket with 8.8 seconds left. Finney-Smith then failed to connect on an open 3-pointer as time expired, resulting in the game proceeding to overtime.
A noteworthy statistic to mention is that the only other player to achieve at least 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists in a game was Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who accomplished this twice during his career.
Looking ahead, the Nets will face off against Memphis on Wednesday, while the Nuggets are set to travel to Minnesota for their next matchup on Friday.