Jokics Stellar Start: Third Straight Triple-Double Powers Nuggets to Dominant Victory

Nikola Jokic has made history by becoming the third player in NBA history to kick off a regular season with four consecutive triple-doubles, joining the ranks of legends Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. He led the Denver Nuggets to a commanding 122-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena, finishing the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals on Wednesday.

“It’s not something that comes easily. We should stop pretending it is,” the 30-year-old Serbian star said in a postgame interview regarding his recent triple-double performance. “I still have to run and jump like everyone else. Some nights, things just go my way, as they did today. I hope it continues like this in the future.”

He also complimented head coach David Adelman’s rotation strategy, stating, “It feels a bit like a European style. Those who are performing well get more playing time, and whoever is having a strong game stays in.”

Lithuanian teammate Jonas Valanciunas contributed ten points, while Croatian Karlo Matkovic managed just two points.

In Chicago, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with an impressive 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting, and Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic added a well-rounded double-double of 13 points and 14 rebounds, along with seven assists, as the Bulls triumphed over the Sacramento Kings, 126-113, at the United Center. Unfortunately, French player Noa Essengue did not see action. On the Kings’ side, Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while German Dennis Schroder added five points, but Croatian Dario Saric and French Maxime Raynaud were not in the lineup.

The Atlanta Hawks secured a victory against the Brooklyn Nets, 117-112, in Barclays Center, with Latvian Kristaps Porzingis scoring 14 points and French Zaccharie Risacher adding eight points. Czech player Vit Krejci did not play, nor did Serbian Nikola Djuricic and Spanish Eli Ndiaye. From the Nets, Russian Egor Demin contributed four points, while Israeli Ben Saraf did not score, and French players Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf were left out of the rotation.

The Portland Trail Blazers managed to overcome a remarkable 32-point performance from Finnish Lauri Markkanen, defeating the Utah Jazz 136-134 in Delta Center. Israeli Deni Avdija and Belgian Toumani Camara scored 19 and 17 points, respectively, with French Rayan Rupert adding three points, while French Sidy Cissoko was unavailable. Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who started alongside Markkanen, had seven points, and Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic contributed 13 points despite playing with a hip contusion.

In a nail-biter, the Los Angeles Lakers edged out the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-115, with Austin Reaves hitting the game-winning shot, despite injuries sidelining Slovenian Luka Doncic (left finger sprain/left lower leg contusion) and German Maxi Kleber (abdominal strain). Italian Donte DiVincenzo started for the Timberwolves and scored 14 points, while French Rudy Gobert managed nine, and French Joan Beringer did not enter the game.

The Toronto Raptors, missing Austrian center Jakob Poeltl due to lower back tightness, saw Turkish player Alperen Sengun deliver an impressive performance with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, alongside nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, guiding the Houston Rockets to a 139-121 victory in Scotiabank Arena. Swiss reserve Clint Capela added four points. Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili recorded ten points for Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic.

In a disappointing outing for the Orlando Magic, German Franz Wagner scored 22 points as they fell to the Detroit Pistons, 135-116, at Little Caesars Arena. German Tristan da Silva, Georgian Goga Bitadze, and French Noah Penda contributed 15, ten, and four points, respectively, though German Moritz Wagner (recovering from a left knee injury) did not play. Swedish Bobi Klintman did not see game action for the Pistons.

In Mortgage Matchup Center, Spanish Santi Aldama shook off left shoulder discomfort to post 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a narrow 114-113 victory over the Phoenix Suns, with Ja Morant hitting the game-winning shot for the Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo’s team.

The Boston Celtics comfortably defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 125-105, in TD Garden. Portuguese Neemias Queta notched a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, while Bosnian Luka Garza contributed ten additional points, and Spanish Hugo Gonzalez was limited to just four minutes without scoring. British Amari Williams and Ukrainian Max Shulga were unavailable.

In a matchup void of European players, the Dallas Mavericks managed a close 107-105 victory against the Indiana Pacers in the American Airlines Center.

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

**Standings**
**Eastern Conference**
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

**Western Conference**
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.
– Teams ranked seventh to tenth from each conference will compete in the play-in tournament.

Stay tuned for the latest updates!