Thanks in large part to the outstanding play of Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets walked away from Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 116-113 victory,
Jokic logged 37 minutes, racking up a season-high 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting from the field (4-of-7 from beyond the arc), 10 rebounds and eight assists.
According to a report from Harrison Wind of BSN Nuggets, Jokic is now the fifth center to record such a stat line since 1985. Other centers who have accomplished the feat include David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal and DeMarcus Cousins.
From Nuggets PR: Nikola Jokic is only the fifth center in the NBA since 1985 with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and 8+ assists. Joining David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal and DeMarcus Cousins.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) January 14, 2019
“I thought during warmups we were kind of loose and not focused, so I tried to pick up the energy,” Jokic told ESPN after Sunday's win.
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray, who added 24 points in the contest, had high praise for his teammate's motor during his post-game media availability.
“He was really aggressive from the jump,” Murray said of Jokic. “Whether it was Nurk (Jusuf Nurkic, Al-Farouq) Aminu, whoever was on him, he was going at them and they had no answer for him. He just kept scoring and took over the load for a while. We need those nights from him. So it was a huge, great night, but that's not going to be his only 40-point performance.”
Jokic and the Nuggets improved to 29-13 with Sunday's win, which is good for the No. 1 spot in the Northwest Division standings. They'll be looking to keep their momentum rolling on Tuesday, when they welcome the Golden State Warriors to town. Tip-off inside the Pepsi Center is set for 9:00 p.m. ET.
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