Nikola Jokic is back with a bang.
The NBA‘s reigning Most Valuable Player had missed the last five games with an ankle injury, before returning to the Denver Nuggets lineup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
And it’s fair to say ‘The Joker’ put on a show.
He racked up 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on a stellar night to lead the Nuggets to a 127-117 win.
One assist, in particular, saw Jokic add to his highlight reel.
He threw one of the best passes of his career to set up Aaron Gordon for an easy dunk, spinning away from his man before flipping the ball – over his shoulder – to his teammate.
Jokic’s assist quickly went viral, with fans describing it as one of the best they have ever seen.
“Dime of the Year,” one person wrote, responding to the clip on X.
“At this point, it’s disrespectful how casual he makes this look,” another said.
“He’s a magician! He’s a mutant! He’s a superhero,” a third said.
“Nikola Jokic is not only one of the greatest players of this generation, but he’s also one of the best passers of all time,” a fourth concluded.
It wasn’t just fans on social media that the reigning MVP impressed with his no-look pass – those inside the arena were heard gasping as he pulled off the assist just a few minutes into the second half.
Jokic, who has recently been sidelined with a left ankle impingement and a sore right elbow, went on to notch his 30th triple-double of the season and the 160th of his career.
He has become just the fourth player in NBA history to record 30 triple-doubles in a season (and the first for the Nuggets) joining NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook in the history books.
Westbrook, now Jokic’s teammate, holds the record with 42 in the 2016-17 season.
Jokic showed out against a Milwaukee team that was without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as Damian Lillard, who will miss time with a deep vein thrombosis.
“I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to feel,” The Joker said of his return.
“I don’t want to say percentages or anything, but I feel much better than I thought I was going to be. I still feel the ankle a little bit, but it’s much, much, much less than how it was before.”
Led by Jokic, the Nuggets moved to 46-28 on the season with a win against the Bucks.
If they want to go deep in the postseason, they will need their superstar to be firing in this kind of fashion for the rest of the year.
Jokic, perhaps, knows that as well, and stressed the important of ‘establishing a rhythm’ in the final stretch of the regular season.
He said: “I think the most important thing is that we were able to win the game.
“What we want to do is figure out how to establish a rhythm in these last stretch of games.
“We want to be able to go to the playoffs and perform at our peak, and we can’t do that without being on the floor.
“We have to find some consistency. That’s what I want out of the rest of the regular season.”
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With the NBA hurtling towards playoff season next month, there’s plenty riding on the remaining games.
Reigning champions the Boston Celtics are chasing back-to-back titles, and will be the first team to do this since 2018 if they’re successful.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Luka Dončić’s Lakers are looking to win LA’s first championship since 2020.
To watch the rest of this NBA season, sign up for an NBA League pass using the links below. NBA League pass allows subscribers to watch games live and on demand.
- Buy NBA League Pass – £79.99 for the season, £16.99 a month
- Buy NBA League Pass Premium – £104.99 for the season, £29.99 a month
For more information read our article on how to watch the NBA.
