Jokic Pioneers European Flair in Nuggets Dominant Win, Registers Historic Fourth Triple-Double

Nikola Jokic has made history as the third player in NBA history to begin a regular season with four consecutive triple-doubles, joining the ranks of Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. His performance aided the Denver Nuggets in securing a 122-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena, where he recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, ten assists, and two steals on Wednesday.

“It’s not automatic. We need to stop using that term. I’m still out there running and jumping just like the others. Some nights the game aligns perfectly for me, like today,” remarked the 30-year-old Serbian phenomenon during the postgame press, addressing inquiries about his recent achievement, “I hope it continues like this going forward.”

He added praise for head coach David Adelman’s player rotation, stating, “It resembles a bit of the European style. The player who gets into a rhythm continues to play. Those having a good game stay on the court.”

On the Pelicans’ side, Lithuanian teammate Jonas Valanciunas contributed ten points, while Croatian Karlo Matkovic managed just two points.

From the Chicago Bulls, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis led his team with 27 points, shooting an impressive 11 of 18 from the field, while Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic contributed a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds alongside seven assists in a 126-113 win against the Sacramento Kings at the United Center. French player Noa Essengue did not see any action. For the Kings, Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis recorded a double-double of his own with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while German Dennis Schroder added five points, and neither Croatian Dario Saric nor French Maxime Raynaud took to the court.

In another game, Latvian Kristaps Porzingis scored 14 points, and French Zaccharie Risacher added eight, aiding the Atlanta Hawks in a narrow 117-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Czech player Vit Krejci remained on the bench, and Serbian Nikola Djuricic along with Spanish Eli Ndiaye were unavailable. For the Nets, coached by Spanish Jordi Fernandez, Russian Egor Demin contributed four points, while Israeli Ben Saraf did not score, and French Nolan Traore and Israeli Danny Wolf were inactive.

In a thrilling matchup, the Portland Trail Blazers edged the Utah Jazz 136-134 at Delta Center, despite a stellar 32-point performance from Finnish Lauri Markkanen. Israeli Deni Avdija and Belgian Toumani Camara provided significant contributions with 19 and 17 points, respectively, while French Rayan Rupert added three points but French Sidy Cissoko did not dress for the game. Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk also started alongside Markkanen and scored seven points, while Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic managed 13 points while dealing with a right hip injury.

The Los Angeles Lakers secured a narrow 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center, thanks to a game-winning shot from Austin Reaves. With Slovenian Luka Doncic (left finger sprain/lower left leg contusion) and German Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) sidelined, Italian Donte DiVincenzo started for the Timberwolves and scored 14 points, while French Rudy Gobert finished with nine points, and French Joan Beringer did not play.

In the absence of Austrian big man Jakob Poeltl (low back tightness), Turkish player Alperen Sengun stood out with 18 points on 6 of 8 shooting, along with nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, leading the Houston Rockets to a 139-121 victory against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Swiss reserve Clint Capela added four points. Serbian coach Darko Rajakovic’s team also saw Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili score ten points.

In a loss for the Orlando Magic, German Franz Wagner scored 22 points against the Detroit Pistons, who triumphed 135-116 at Little Caesars Arena. German Tristan da Silva, Georgian Goga Bitadze, and French Noah Penda contributed 15, ten, and four points off the bench, respectively, while German Moritz Wagner (recovering from a left knee injury) was out. The Pistons did not have Swedish Bobi Klintman available.

Spanish Santi Aldama posted a strong performance with 14 points, ten rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Memphis Grizzlies, who narrowly defeated the Phoenix Suns 114-113 with a clutch shot from Ja Morant, under the guidance of Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo.

In TD Garden, the Boston Celtics achieved a 125-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Portuguese Neemias Queta turning in a double-double of ten points and ten rebounds. Bosnian Luka Garza added another ten points while Spanish Hugo Gonzalez was limited to just four minutes of play. British Amari Williams and Ukrainian Max Shulga were out.

In a matchup void of European players, the Dallas Mavericks edged out the Indiana Pacers 107-105 at the American Airlines Center.

Here are the results:
– Toronto Raptors 121 – 139 Houston Rockets
– Boston Celtics 125 – 105 Cleveland Cavaliers
– Detroit Pistons 135 – 116 Orlando Magic
– Brooklyn Nets 112 – 117 Atlanta Hawks
– Chicago Bulls 126 – 113 Sacramento Kings
– Dallas Mavericks 107 – 105 Indiana Pacers
– Denver Nuggets 122 – 88 New Orleans Pelicans
– Utah Jazz 134 – 136 Portland Trail Blazers
– Minnesota Timberwolves 115 – 116 Los Angeles Lakers
– Phoenix Suns 113 – 114 Memphis Grizzlies

Standings:
1. Chicago Bulls 4-0
2. Philadelphia 76ers 4-0
3. Miami Heat 3-1
4. Milwaukee Bucks 3-1
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2
6. Detroit Pistons 3-2
7. New York Knicks 2-2
8. Charlotte Hornets 2-2
9. Atlanta Hawks 2-3
10. Boston Celtics 2-3
11. Washington Wizards 1-3
12. Toronto Raptors 1-4
13. Orlando Magic 1-4
14. Indiana Pacers 0-4
15. Brooklyn Nets 0-5

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 5-0
2. San Antonio Spurs 4-0
3. Golden State Warriors 4-1
4. Denver Nuggets 3-1
5. Portland Trail Blazers 3-2
6. Los Angeles Lakers 3-2
7. Memphis Grizzlies 3-2
8. Utah Jazz 2-2
9. Los Angeles Clippers 2-2
10. Houston Rockets 2-2
11. Minnesota Timberwolves 2-3
12. Dallas Mavericks 2-3
13. Phoenix Suns 1-4
14. Sacramento Kings 1-4
15. New Orleans Pelicans 0-4

– The top six teams from each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, while the teams finishing seventh through tenth will compete in the Play-Ins.

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