Denver Nuggets

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokić "the best center" he's ever seen, further noting that his versatility is something that even the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar couldn't achieve.

Kerr made his remarks to reporters before his team's home game against the Nuggets on Friday:

Steve Kerr doesn't like to compare eras. But asked about Jokic averaging a triple-double and career-highs in points, assists + 3-point shooting, Kerr: "He's the best center I've ever seen. I played against Kareem... Kareem couldn't do all this stuff."

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 5, 2025

Jokić entered Friday averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 assists and 10.2 assists per game. If his triple-double averages hold, he'll be the first center to ever average a triple-double in a season. A pair of point guards (Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook) have achieved the feat before, with the latter player doing so four times.

Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, is also hitting 41.6 percent of his threes. He entered Friday with 127 made threes, a career-high. He also needed 46 more assists down the stretch in the regular season to get his career-high in assists as well.

In addition, Jokić is leading the league in PER (player efficiency rating) for the fifth straight season, per Basketball-Reference.

Obviously, having a person like Kerr, who won five NBA titles as a player and four more as a coach, saying Jokić is the best center he's ever seen carries a tremendous amount of weight. He also saw Jokić's brilliance in action once again, too, as he dropped 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in the first quarter alone.

We'll see someday where Jokić stands in the pantheon of the NBA's greats, but for now, his sheer dominance is remarkable as he looks to lead Denver to a second NBA title in three seasons.

Playing without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. on Tuesday night, Nikola Jokić did all he could for the Denver Nuggets in their 140-139 double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jokić recorded a triple-double with a career-high 61 points in the loss, prompting his head coach to call him "Superman" after the game.

"Nikola came up to me after the third quarter and said, 'Coach, I'm good. Leave me in there. I don't want to come out. Let me just keep playing,'" Michael Malone said. "He was in a good rhythm, obviously—61 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals. The guy is Superman."

Jokić made history with his 61-10-10 game. He set a career-high for points in a single game, scored the most points ever for a player with a triple-double and is now tied with Wilt Chamberlain for the most triple-doubles by a center in a season (31).

The Joker on April Fools' Day:

— Career-high in points
— Career-high in minutes
— Ties Shaq in 50-point games
— Most points by a player this season
— First 60-point triple-double by a center

Ties Wilt for the most triple-doubles in a season by a center. pic.twitter.com/3FZAxXa3zP

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 2, 2025

The Nuggets played Jokić for 53 out of a possible 58 minutes. He shot 18-of-29 from the field (6-of-11 from three) and went 19-of-24 from the free-throw line.

Jokić was playing in his third straight game after a five-game absence due to an ankle injury. He recorded a triple-double in his return on March 26, so it didn't seem like there were any lingering effects.

Tuesday marked Jokić's second game of the season with at least 50 points. He scored a then-career-high 56 points against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 7, also a loss for the Nuggets.

Even though Denver seems to have trouble taking advantage of its superhero center having career nights for some reason, Jokić keeps hitting new benchmarks in what has been an incredible season.

The three-time NBA MVP is averaging a triple-double with 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.2 rebounds per game in 65 starts.

Malone told reporters prior to tipoff that Murray is dealing with hamstring tightness and Porter had a family matter to attend to. It's unclear if either or both players will be back for the second night of a back-to-back when the Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

The loss dropped the Nuggets (47-29) two games behind the Houston Rockets for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They are also tied with the Los Angeles Lakers (46-29) in the loss column in the race for the No. 3 spot.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has started publicly campaigning for Nikola Jokić to win the NBA MVP award for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

After Jokić put up 35 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in Monday's 140-127 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Malone told reporters they're "all bulls--tting" if they don't think the Nuggets superstar is the MVP:

"Obviously, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great player, and if he wins his first MVP, he’s deserving of that. My thing is this: If you didn’t know that Nikola won three MVPs, and I put Player A and Player B on paper … the guy that was averaging a triple-double, the guy that is top-three in the three major statistical categories, things that no one has ever done, he wins the MVP 10 times out of 10. And if you don’t think so, I think you guys are all bulls--ting."

Jokić, who is not one to boast about himself, did admit he feels like he's playing as well as he ever as while also giving credit to Gilgeous-Alexander.

"I will say that I think I'm playing the best basketball of my life, so if that's enough, that's enough," Jokic said after the victory. "If not, the guy [Gilgeous-Alexander] deserves it. He's really amazing."

With Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander likely the top two MVP candidates right now, these two head-to-head meetings between the Nuggets and Thunder on Sunday and Monday in Oklahoma City could have provided some clarity on the race.

Instead, the two teams split with both players putting up great individual performances in their club's victory. Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 with eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks to lead the Thunder to a 127-103 win on Sunday.

Jokić, who injured his elbow in Sunday's game and was also dealing with an ankle injury, came back the next night with what's become a standard performance by him to help the Nuggets get a big win.

The case for Jokić as MVP isn't hard to make, as evidenced by Malone's comments. He ranks third in the NBA in scoring (28.9 points per game), second in assists (10.5) and third in rebounds (13.0).

Jokić is on pace to join Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season. He's shooting 43.0 percent from three-point range on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game.

There's also a great argument for Gilgeous-Alexander to win his first MVP award. He leads the NBA in scoring (32.7 points per game) on 52.5 percent shooting, along with 6.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game for a Thunder team that has an 11-game lead over Denver for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Regardless of who ends up winning MVP, the stats and eye test suggest the race between Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander is extremely close. Both teams have played 65 games so far this season, giving them 17 more games to make their case for the award.

If Jokić wins, he will join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history with at least four MVPs.

Nikola Jokić hit another historic benchmark with the NBA's first 30-20-20 triple-double in the Denver Nuggets' 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

"The first time in NBA history a 30-20-20 game."

Coach Michael Malone gives Nikola Jokić the game ball following his HISTORIC night. 🃏

📽️ - @nuggets pic.twitter.com/3H6qQ8w8kA

— NBA (@NBA) March 8, 2025

Speaking to reporters after the game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone praised Jokić as a "one of one" player:

"I mean, the first player to ever have a 30, 20 and 20 game. I can't describe him, so don't ask me to. The guy is just an incredible player, and when you are one of one in this league and the tremendous history of this league, that says a lot. And there's a lot of good players in this league, but Nikola, in my opinion, is just in a class well by himself."

In true Jokić fashion, he didn't really seem too overwhelmed by his accomplishment when appearing on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt after the victory.

"It's gonna be nice to go finish my career, on my couch, and think I had a really good game."

Nikola Jokic is unfazed after having the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history 😭 pic.twitter.com/nxT5a0sgbL

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 8, 2025

Denver needed every bit of Jokić's contributions to win a thriller against a Suns team that's fighting for their playoff lives at this point.

The Nuggets led by as much as 11 points in the fourth quarter, but the Suns were able to erase that deficit. Kevin Durant forced overtime with a game-tying three as time expired in regulation.

While the entire game was a masterclass by Jokić, overtime was when he really took things over to lead the Nuggets to victory. He had five points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal in the five-minute period.

Denver shot 8-of-9 from the field in overtime to earn its 13th win in the last 16 games.

Even though the most recent results from the MVP straw poll conducted by ESPN's Tim Bontemps had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander way out in front with 70 of a possible 100 first-place votes, Jokić is doing everything possible to close that gap.

The Nuggets are only percentage points behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Jokić leads the NBA with 29 triple-doubles this season, 19 more than anyone else (LeBron James: 10).

The 30-year-old is on pace to join Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players in league history to average a triple-double for a full season. He's currently at 28.9 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.6 assists per game in 57 starts.

Nikola Jokić might be holding a grudge against tacos.

The broadcast of the 2014 NBA draft was infamously playing a Taco Bell commercial when the Denver Nuggets big man was selected with the 41st overall pick. Considering he has developed into arguably the league's best player, it is now an incredible moment in time that basketball fans often joke about and look back at when discussing Jokić.

Well, he talked about it at the 30-second mark of the Nuggets-produced Road to Gold episode and said, "I think I've never had Taco Bell, just because of that."

Fear not, Jokić fans, because he has come a long way since his name popped up on the bottom of the screen during a Quesarito commercial.

The future Hall of Famer has a resume that includes a championship, NBA Finals MVP, three league MVPs, six All-NBA selections and seven All-Star Game nods at just 30 years old. Denver is now an annual contender primarily because of his presence in the lineup, and he has surpassed even the most unrealistically positive projections about him from draft day in 2014.

Had the rest of the league known what he was going to turn into, he surely would have been taken in the first round and heard his name called when there wasn't a Taco Bell commercial playing on the screen.

Alas, it is now an amusing footnote in his career and, apparently, a reason he refuses to eat at the fast food restaurant.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone thought the Los Angeles Lakers beat his team in every facet in Saturday's 123-100 defeat.

Malone told reporters that L.A. "out-played" and "out-coached" his team. Among other things, he cited the Lakers scoring 39 points off turnovers and getting 33 points on the fast break.

Malone also said Los Angeles' "physicality and our inability to handle it" played a role in star center Nikola Jokić making a somewhat muted impact despite putting up solid numbers. Jokić had a triple-double (12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) but attempted just seven shots and committed six turnovers, one below his season high.

Going off Malone's comments, you wouldn't have guessed Denver had won nine games in a row entering Saturday. The team still sits third in the Western Conference at 37-20, too.

Still, playing the Lakers was an opportunity for the Nuggets to make a firm statement on the court, and they failed to do that. Instead, Los Angeles got a huge confidence boost thanks to both the win and the performance of Luka Dončić, who finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Denver has a day off before it embarks on a four-game road trip. It will face off with the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics before returning to the Mile High City.

None of those is a gimme for the Nuggets, so Malone is probably counting on his direct remarks to get his players focused for a difficult stretch.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been floated in trade rumors prior to Thursday's deadline, but his head coach made it clear that he won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Following Monday's 125-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in which Porter dropped a season-high 36 points, head coach Michael Malone had a definitive answer when asked about the trade rumors involving the swingman.

"No because we're not trading Michael Porter," Malone said, per ESPN. "So I'm not touching base with anybody on that. ... And if there's something coming, obviously [Nuggets GM Calvin Booth] will talk with me and I'm sure we'll communicate with whatever players. But Michael is a really important piece, he helped us win a championship."

While Porter is in the midst of the best season of his seven-year career, he's still considered a prime trade candidate because he's the only player on the Nuggets roster who has a salary above $9 million and is also eligible to be traded before the deadline. He signed a five-year max extension in 2022 and has two years and nearly $80 million left on the deal.

However, Porter appears to have overcome the injury woes that plagued him early in his career. After playing in 81 games last season, he's appeared in all 50 games this year and is averaging 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three-point range.

"As long as I'm here, I'm going to be here and I'm going to be happy and I'm going to play hard and try to be available and try to help win games," Porter said after Monday's win. "And then if the day came where they wanted to trade me and they wanted to go a different direction, then I'll be excited for the new opportunity. But ... it's not something I think about at all."

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray believes that Nikola Jokić deserves to win his fourth MVP award in five seasons.

"It's hard to deny his greatness," Murray said, per Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. "If you look at the stats, and his stats are better than every other MVP (season) he's ever had, then you know, what can you say? Well, what's going to be your argument?"

The superstar center is in the midst of another incredible season, averaging career-highs in points (29.6), assists (10.1) and steals per game (1.8) on 57.0/47.5/81.3 shooting splits. Jokić is also pulling down 12.8 rebounds each night, the second-best mark of his career.

JOKIĆ FROM FULL COURT ‼️

OMG WHAT A SHOT 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/14sl697uly

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 24, 2025

He's on track to become the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of a full season, joining former MVPs Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.

"He's someone that goes and brings it every single night on a daily basis and makes everybody around him better," Murray said, via Taylor.

Jokić leads the NBA with 76.5 passes made per game, while his 26.3 assist points created are the second-most in the association (via NBA.com).

JOKER KNEW GORDON WOULD BE THERE...

Passes it over his head for the HUGE slam 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CLKrcsnIWh

— NBA (@NBA) January 18, 2025

The Nuggets' No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings could hurt his MVP case, as they've finished lower than No. 4 just once in the past six seasons.

Murray doesn't think that should affect his candidacy, though.

"We've been top seeded for a few years now, and they try to come up with all different kinds of reasons," Murray explained, per Taylor. "And I don't think they really have a strong, strong case. Even if some other guys are playing really well, it's really hard to deny other numbers that he's putting up. There's not much you can say or down him about, especially this year."

"So just appreciate greatness, and it's fun to play in this time," he added. "And I don't take it for granted."

Denver has lost three of its past four games, sitting at 29-19 on the season.

If the Nuggets climb a bit further up the standings before the end of the year while Jokić continues to perform at a high level, he could become the sixth player in NBA history to win at least four MVP awards.

The Denver Nuggets snapped a three-game losing streak on Friday night, taking down the Philadelphia 76ers by the final score of 137-134 at the Wells Fargo Center.

With the Nuggets maintaining a narrow one-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Nikola Jokić connected on a floater with 12 seconds left that pushed Denver's lead to three.

JOKER FLOATER. 🃏

3-POINT NUGGETS LEAD.

12.7 SECONDS. SIXERS BALL. ESPN. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/JxxGSMywMT

— NBA (@NBA) February 1, 2025

The 76ers cut the deficit to one with a bucket by Kelly Oubre Jr. shortly afterwards, but Jamal Murray connected on a pair of free throws and a last-second three-point attempt from Guerschon Yabusele missed to seal the win for the Nuggets.

Jokić nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 28 points and 13 assists to go along with nine rebounds. He shot 11-16 from the field, connecting on two of his three attempts from behind the arc.

The three-time MVP stepped up to secure the victory, scoring eight points within the final minute of regulation.

JOKIC CLUTCH THREE❗

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/SBpg2bYqmS

— ESPN (@espn) February 1, 2025

Fans were in awe of the heroics from Jokić.

Jokic tonight:

28 PTS
9 REB
13 AST

Dropped 8 points in the final minute. pic.twitter.com/cpuIrJBxzq

— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 1, 2025

Jokic just wanted to work on some clutch time scenarios. That's all.

— WADE 🏀 (@Its_Wade) February 1, 2025

I am not even exaggerating when I say Nikola Jokić is the most clutch basketball player of all time

— Ethical Hoops🏆 (only takes Ws) (@EthicalHoopz) February 1, 2025

Jokic might be the best offensive player I’ve ever seen.

— Josh Rosen (@Joshimpressions) February 1, 2025

Nikola Jokic might mess around and win MVP and Clutch Player of the Year in the same season.

— Jokic Muse (@_JokicMuse_) February 1, 2025

Nikola Jokic scored 11 of the Nuggets’ last 15 points after they trailed the 76ers 125-122 with 2:15 to play. Game-tying 3, go-ahead 3-point play, game-winning 3, driving insurance bucket.

— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) February 1, 2025

Final: Nuggets 137, Sixers 134

Denver escapes with a wild win behind 28-9-13 from Nikola Jokic, who scored or assisted on 13 straight points in the crunch time to pull out the win.

Massive game from Tyrese Maxey, who had 42 & 9, in the loss to snap Philly's 4 game win streak.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 1, 2025

Murray scored a team-high 31 points and dished out 11 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 24 points and six rebounds on 10-14 shooting.

For the 76ers, Tyrese Maxey nearly led his team to an impressive win by finishing with 42 points and nine assists. He shot 15-26 from the field and hit six three-pointers.

Philadelphia was ultimately unable to overcome the absences of Joel Embiid and Paul George, who were out with knee and finger issues respectively.

The Nuggets improved to 29-19 with the victory, maintaining the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings.