After going 10-for-10 from the field and ending with 21 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists in Thursday night’s 130-110 victory over the Washington Wizards, Nikola Jokic became the third player in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

The defending champion Nuggets, who had a three-game losing streak before returning from the All-Star break, were led by Michael Porter’s 22 points and 11 rebounds.

With 16 for the season, Jokic is second in the league behind only Domantas Sabonis, who has 18. After halftime, he was within striking distance with 10 points, 14 boards, and 9 assists. Only Russell Westbrook and LeBron James have recorded a triple-double versus every single opponent.

Nuggets beat Wizards in NBA game thanks to triple-double from Nikola Jokic

Jamal Murray, who sat out Denver’s last game due to inflammation in his tibia, returned with 18 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals.

As they lost their ninth game in a row, the Wizards tied their worst losing streak of the season, despite Kyle Kuzma’s 31 points and 13 boards. In Washington’s last four games, Deni Avdija averaged 28.3 points on 61.5% shooting. However, he was limited to just five points on 2-of-11 shooting.

With a field goal percentage of 38.8 percent, Washington dropped to 1-34 versus teams with winning records. Interim coach Brian Keefe benched Jordan Poole, who went 4-for-17 from the field but still managed to rack up 18 points.

Thanks to Nikola Jokic’s triple-double, the Nuggets defeat the Wizards | Yardbarker

For Denver, 17 points came from Aaron Gordon, and bench players Christian Braun and Peyton Watson also contributed. Watson ended with 11 points and four blocks, while Braun had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

In a 130–110 victory over the Wizards, Jokic recorded a triple-double, giving him a record of at least one each game – Newsday

Denver defensively toyed with Washington, frequently outscoring the Wizards on backdoor cuts that resulted in high-percentage, frequently uncontested scoring chances near the rim. The Nuggets led 72-49 at halftime thanks in large part to their shooting performance from inside the arc, which they maintained despite making only four of their eighteen 3-pointers in the first half.

The Nuggets scored 88 points in the paint, which was a new season best.

In the first quarter, the Nuggets led by 16 points; with 2 minutes and four seconds left in the second quarter, Gordon scored two free throws to increase the lead to 26 points.

The Nuggets won nine of their following ten games the only other time this season after losing three in a row.

In a 130–110 victory over the Wizards, Jokic recorded a triple-double, giving him a record of at least one each game – Newsday

Jokic has 121 regular-season triple-doubles and 16 playoff triple-doubles in just 650 career games, putting him in fourth place all-time in NBA history. He is currently in fourth place all-time, behind only Westbrook (198), Magic Johnson (138), and Oscar Robertson (181). He has already overtaken James (110) in this regard.

It would appear that he does not face many tough opponents, as he has now packed the stat sheet against every single squad. Among his opponents, the New Orleans Pelicans have been the most victimised by Jokic’s variety; in just 29 games played against them, he has recorded ten triple-doubles.

This was the third game of Jokic’s career, and the second this season, in which he shot 100% from the field on at least 10 attempts. This was his fourth “perfect triple-double” in a row while shooting flawless from the field.

“Like any great passer, his head is always up,” Malone said.

“The floor is being surveyed by him. He has an incredible intelligence, can read the defence, and finds open receivers. Lots of things happen to him before they even happen.