NEARING THE TOP
CHICAGO—Nikola Jokic got another game ball from his Denver Nuggets teammates after yet another triple-double. This one, though, was a bit more special than the others.
It made some NBA history.
Jokic had 22 points, 17 assists and 14 rebounds to pass Oscar Robertson for No. 2 on the league’s career list with his 182nd regular-season triple-double, leading the Nuggets to a 136-120 victory over the Bulls on Saturday night.
“He is a legendary player,” Jokic said of Robertson, who was the first player to average a triple-double in a full season in 1961-1962. “Any player who steps into this league knows he’s a global legend.”
The three-time NBA MVP and eight-time All-Star is making his own mark on the game, too. The triple-double was Jokic’s 19th this season and second in as many games. He trails only Russell Westbrook, who has 207, on the career list. Westbrook (four), Jokic (two) and Robertson (one) are the only NBA players to average triple-doubles in a season.
Nuggets coach David Adelman, who had been with the organization since Jokic’s third season in 2017, said he still catches himself being amazed by the 6-foot-11 Serbian center.
“When your center gets 17 assists in a game—that just doesn’t happen,” Adelman said. “Unless it’s him.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable what he’s done.”
Teammate Jamal Murray said he expects even more from Jokic, who’ll turn 31 on Feb. 19.
“He’s got a lot of that left,” he said. “It’s going to be a Usain Bolt record when he sets it. He’s going to have that for a long time.”
Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Joel Embiid scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey added 29 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the cold-shooting Suns, 109-103, to win for the sixth time in their last seven games.
The Sixers bounced back from a 119-115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, while the Suns lost for the third time in four games, shooting just 11-of-46 (23.9 percent) from three-point range.
Philadelphia led, 81-71, going into the fourth quarter and pushed its advantage to 16 after holding Phoenix scoreless for the first three minutes of the fourth.
The Suns made things interesting in the final minutes, cutting it to 101-97 with 1:04 left on Devin Booker’s two free throws, but Tyrese Maxey responded with a step-back triple to keep the 76ers ahead.
Joel Embiid grabbed nine rebounds, made four four-pointers and was 11-of-13 on free throws, all while jawing for much of the game with Suns forward Dillon Brooks. Former Sun Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 18 points.
The Suns couldn’t get the win despite Booker and Jalen Green returning to the lineup. Booker—who will play in his fifth All-Star game next week—missed seven games with a sprained ankle. He finished with 21 points and nine assists.
Green has been battling injuries all season and played in just his sixth game. He finished with eight points, playing 17 minutes while coming off the bench.
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
