Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone can only mesmerize by another historic performance that came from Nikola Jokic on Sunday.
Malone admitted that he had no idea that the reigning two-time MVP was collecting superb numbers yet again.
“I didn’t know it was a 40-27-10 night but I knew he was having another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,” Malone said, via ESPN. “And it’s not just about Nikola. It’s about his ability to make every one of his teammates better. Yeah, Nikola is a generational talent.”
Jokic stuffed the stat sheet with 40 points in a career-high 27 boards together with 10 assists to navigate the Nuggets to a 119-115 weekend victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
This serves as his 81st career triple-double while joining Luka Doncic as the only player who has a 40-point triple-double this season. But more than this, he just became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to register 40 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.
As such, the Serbian superstar has joined Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor in an exclusive club of cagers in league history who pulled off 40+ points, 25+ rebounds, and 10+ assists in a single match.
Jokic already grabbed his 20th board before the second half commences, becoming the first player since Dwight Howard registered it in 2018.
Denver now picked up their fourth win in the last five games while going up 9-3 on their home stand record. They will face the visiting Memphis Grizzlies for a marquee Western Conference contest on Tuesday.
