Amid the absence of Jamal Murray, who remains out with a hamstring injury, the Denver Nuggets have needed one herculean effort after another from Nikola Jokic, the reigning Finals MVP. And that's exactly what they've gotten from their star center. On Friday night, facing an upstart New Orleans Pelicans team on the road in the NBA In-Season Tournament, Jokic put up a monster stat-line of 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 18 assists despite the Nuggets' 115-110 loss.

Jokic simply continues to be the sun with which the Nuggets' entire galaxy revolves around. They go as Jokic goes, and despite coming up against a tough Pelicans team buoyed by their raucous home crowd, the Nuggets still had a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter. And in putting up such a monstrous night, Jokic continues to climb the ranks of the league's all-time best stat-sheet stuffers.

According to NBA History on Twitter (X), Nikola Jokic is now tied for second all-time for the most games with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists, with his masterclass against the Pelicans on Friday night being the fourth such game of his career. He's now tied with Wilt Chamberlain in those rankings.

Still, the number one player on that list, the great Oscar Robertson, still towers above the rest of his peers, having tallied 14 of those games in his Hall of Fame career. Rounding out the top six along with those three are Luka Doncic, Russell Westbrook, and Larry Bird, with the three of them having two such games.

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At present, there may be not be a more unstoppable force roaming the NBA hardwood than Nikola Jokic; the Nuggets star simply has an answer for every coverage, and he reads the floor like he's a telepath, pinging passes straight to the shooting pockets of his teammates all the while being a dominant force on the glass.

Despite the loss to the Pelicans, the Nuggets look every part of a championship favorite, and it's thanks to Jokic's continued excellence.  Once Jamal Murray returns, there's no reason to expect the Nuggets not to be one of, if not the last team standing come the end of the 2023-24 season.