Highlights: Nikola Jokic’s historic triple-double lifts Nuggets past Hornets

Just when you think he can’t get any better, Nikola Jokic does another historic thing that’s barely been done on the basketball court before. Last night was a pretty special performance from Jokic as he recorded his 81st career triple-double behind a 40 point, 27 rebound, and 10 assist performance.

Anytime your stat line is compared to something Will Chamberlain accomplished is pretty special, which is something Jokic is no stranger to. Jokic’s 27 rebounds was a career-high, 20 of which came in the first half. The Hornets had no answers of how to slow down Jokic, but who often does as the Nuggets big man is gunning for his third consecutive MVP award.

If his last five games are any indication of what’s to come — and there’s a good chance he’s just getting starting — Jokic is well on his way to jumping back to the top of the MVP conversation:

On the season, Jokic is now averaging 25.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, and nine assists per game. The efficiency in which he’s been playing has also been pretty spectacular as Jokic is currently shooting a career-high 62 percent from the field.

The Nuggets needed everything Jokic gave them last night as he played 40 minutes, which is the second most minutes he’s played in a game this season. Even as dominant as Jokic was, the Nuggets barely escaped with a 4-point victory as defense continues to be an issue surrounding this team.

While we’re on the topic of defense though, not only was Jokic certainly the offensive player of the game, but he also got the defensive player of the game chain postgame:

To watch all the highlights from Jokic’s game for the ages, click the link below!