Nikola Jokic had another historic night for the Denver Nuggets as he added 31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists in their 149-141 win against the Phoenix Suns.
He became the first player in NBA history to ever have a 30-20-20 game.
The Serbian is adding further success by averaging a triple-double season with 28-12-10 splits, and if he ends the season with similar numbers, he will become only the third player in league history to achieve this feat.
His performance against the Phoenix Suns was his 29th triple-double, which is the most for any player in the league this season.
After what was a historic performance, Jokic’s name was once again thrown in MVP conversations alongside OKC Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with even Kevin Durant sharing his strong opinion on the Joker’s case after the historic game against his team.
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas predicted something about Jokic‘s MVP case on his podcast, which the Serbian showed a glimpse of in his performance last night.
Arenas’ podcast has gained a widespread viewership due to its unfiltered basketball take by former NBA players including Brandon Jennings and Rashad McCants.
While he seems to be the odds-on favourtie to win the trophy due to SGA’s special performances this season, the crew discussed what it would take for Jokic to turn things around in the MVP conversation.
Arenas said: “I’m gonna tell you this right now, that _______ over there in Denver, there’s gonna be a game where he says, “_______, this is my trophy.”
Jokic’s performance last night was very close to meeting Arenas’ expectation of the monster game, but it certainly helped him get into headlines.
Arenas added: “There’s gonna be a 40-20-15…1000%”
“He is just like SGA offensively, if he wanted to score a 50, who the ____ is stopping him?”
Jokic’s 31-point triple double was not only historic, but it also helped the Nuggets secure a crucial overtime win against the Suns.
Not only did he fill the box score, but he also scored efficiently by shooting 59% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone was full of praises after yet another brilliant performance from Jokic.
In his post-game press conference, he said: “I can’t describe him, so don’t ask me to.
“The guy is just an incredible player, and when you are 1-of-1 in this league, with the tremendous history of this league, that says a lot.
“There’s a lot of good players in this league, but Nikola, in my opinion, is just in a class all by himself.”
With under 20 games to play, the Nuggets will need similar performances from their star player.
He certainly will be locked in to lead his team to a possible second- place finish in the West, but in that pursuit there is still belief that Jokic could make a push to win his fourth MVP trophy.
