After last night’s perfect-from-the-field triple-double, tonight’s output from Nikola Jokic seems a little pedestrian: 23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. The fact that fans of the Denver Nuggets expect that from their soon-to-be-All-Star center says a lot about how special he is, and what he brings to the table every night. On a poor shooting night for Denver, mostly brought on by tired legs that led to bricked three pointers (Denver was 6-for-32 from beyond the arc) Jokic only took one three. He did most of his damage at the elbow and in the paint, forcing his way to the rim on more than one occasion. He only committed two fouls, one of which was on a ridiculous flop by Andre Iguodala, so his habit from last season of committing fouls when tired didn’t rear its head at all. He played a smart game and was vocal on both ends of the court. Oh yeah, and he dropped a 20-10 double-double on the champs. Denver fans might be coming to expect this, but Jokic keeps delivering.<doc-sep>DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 24: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets poses for a portrait during the Denver Nuggets Media Day at the Pepsi Center on September 24, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) Nikola Jokic‘s triple-double leads the Denver Nuggets to a blow out win. In last night’s game, Nikola Jokic played like the franchise player he is. Shooting a perfect 11 of 11 from the field and becoming the 2nd Denver Nuggets player since Fats Lever to record a triple-double within the first two games of the season. Jokic also became the 2nd player in NBA history to record a triple double on 100% shooting from the field. With Wilt Chamberlain being the first. Once again, as David Fizdale would say, how’s that for data? Denver’s Fab 5 In addition to Nikola Jokic’s exceptional play. The Denver Nuggets’ starters put up a total of 107 points with Denver’s bench contributing 12 points for a 119 – 91 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Moreover, the Denver Nuggets’ starters were also able to put up those 107 points in an efficient manner with all but Gary Harris (46.7%), shooting at least 50% from the field. Whilst the Nuggets only shot 32.1% from 3, this was offset by their shooting 50.6% from the field. Meanwhile, like Nikola Jokic, who played well on both sides of the floor. Recording 4 steals and a block, to go along with his historic triple-double. The Nuggets held the Phoenix Suns to just 37.7% shooting from the field and 28.2% from 3. Denver Nuggets Two-Way Play On the bright side, this is a great sign of the Nuggets being an improved team on defense. However, last year the Phoenix Suns were last in the league in terms of 3 point percentage. To be fair, the Nuggets, guarded the Suns well from the field as well as the 3 point line. Moreover, they have so far this regular season locked up teams defensively i.e. the Clippers and the Suns to their credit. Next game however, the Nuggets defense will have, perhaps, it’s best test yet as they face the Warriors. Hopefully their competitiveness ensures a focus that leads to a similar high level of play on both sides of the basketball. Traditionally, the Denver Nuggets have tended to be a team that benefits from playing at home more than your average team. Last night’s sold out game was further evidence of that. With the Golden State Warriors coming to town, hopefully both instances will repeat themselves. That is, the sold out crowd full of Nuggets Nation energy and a victorious outcome for the Denver Nuggets. After all, letting the league (NBA) know that the Denver Nuggets are coming, is part of the battle that leads to the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Want your voice heard? Join the Nugg Love team! Write for us! Nothing would send that message better than beating the world champion Warriors.<doc-sep>Lost in the hype of LeBron James’ home debut in Los Angeles was the unbelievable game Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic had against the Phoenix Suns. Jokic had a triple-double, which would have been a great storyline by itself, but the stats behind it were just as stunning. The center finished a near flawless game with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. That includes missing zero field goals, going 11-for-11, and having zero turnovers in 31 minutes. He also added three steals and a block on the night. His only blemish? One missed free throw – he finished 10-for-11 from the stripe. His triple-double put him in rare company, one that he’s heard comparison to before. The only player to have a triple-double with more than 30 points and no missed field goals was Wilt Chamberlain. Not the first Wilt connection Last season, Jokic heard the first of the Chamberlain connections in the midst of a dominant stretch of games. He had three straight triple-doubles in late February last year – the only player since Chamberlain to do so. Chamberlain did that six times though so Jokic still has a ways to go to match the NBA Hall of Famer’s record. Nikola Jokic joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history 6'10" or taller to record 3 straight triple-doubles. Chamberlain had six such streaks during his career, including a 9-game stretch during 1967-68. via @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/P6hbD6ts2c — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 24, 2018 “He’s not an All-Star, he’s not in the MVP conversation, but when you look at his numbers that guy should be an All-Star. He should be in the MVP conversation,” Malone told ESPN last year after Jokic’s All-Star snub. The triple-doubles continued to pile up for Jokic, including a game where he had one in just 16 minutes, as he finished the regular season with 10. Story continues And with that another Chamberlain comparison followed — Jokic and Chamberlain are the only centers to finish with more than seven triple-doubles in a single season. Jokic likely only cares about helping his team win an NBA Championship like Wilt, but getting comparisons with the great this early in his career can’t be a bad sign. More from Yahoo Sports: • NBA, NBPA at odds over one-and-done rule • Exclusive: Mike Leach called out Pac-12 officiating via texts • Odell Beckham Jr. explains why he doesn’t like water • Astros’ Altuve reportedly undergoes knee surgery<doc-sep>
Despite the hip injury that could seriously affect Will Barton’s season, tonight was a good game for Denver’s offense. The Nuggets played a young Suns team featuring a rookie center in Deandre Ayton and his backup Tyson Chandler, and Nikola Jokic dismantled both men, on both ends of the floor. He logged 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals and a block in 31 minutes to notch his first triple double of the season. As our own Adam Mares said in the final minutes: It's a fairly meaningless game in October but this was one of the most complete games Jokic has played. Perfect from the field. Solid defense. And the leadership was very noticeable. Demanded the ball. Ran the show. 33-10-10-3-1. No turnovers. 11-11 FG. — Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) October 21, 2018 It’s a cruel irony that Will Barton and Jokic had such great chemistry in the first half of this game. You’ll see both a Jokic-to-Barton assist and a Barton-to-Jokic one in this highlight package. The two worked off of each other well in Barton’s new starting role, and it will be a shame to shelve that for however long Barton winds up on the mend. Hopefully things will look better for his situation once all the medicals come in, but in the meantime enjoy Joker dishing, rebounding and scoring from everywhere over his bewildered and helpless defenders. This is the Jokic that Denver will need to make the playoffs, and he looks like his shooting touch and aggressive mentality have both returned in full force. Take a look! Watch: Nikola speaks with the media following his historic performance.