Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic made history on Tuesday night by becoming the second NBA player to record at least 40 points and 10 assists in a playoff game without a single turnover.
Historic Performance
Chris Paul was the first to achieve this feat with his 41 points, 10 assists, and no turnovers during the Houston Rockets‘ Game 5 win over the Utah Jazz in the 2018 NBA Playoffs. In Denver’s Game 5 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jokic came close to a triple-double but fell short by three rebounds.
Nikola Jokić has joined Chris Paul as the only players to have 40 points and 10 assists in a playoff game with 0 turnovers.#NBA | #Nuggets
— Stathead (@Stathead)
Jamal Murray praised Jokic saying, “He’s amazing, just the way he picks apart the game and reads it. I think getting that trophy tonight gave him extra motivation.”
Other players who have managed at least 30 points and 10 assists without turning over the ball in playoff games include Baron Davis (2002), Kevin Johnson (1989), and Larry Bird (1987).
Fourth Quarter Brilliance
In an impressive fourth quarter, Jokic nailed a buzzer-beater three-pointer over Rudy Gobert, creating a comfortable lead for Denver. By then, Denver had led by up to 18 points.
Jokic scored an incredible amount of points with very few shots during just one quarter. He logged seven shots for sixteen points while also dishing out four assists.
I think it’s cool how he can do so much with so little effort.
Before tipoff, Jokic received his third MVP award from Adam Silver. But what stood out more was his defense against Anthony Edwards from Minnesota.
Nikola Jokić tonight: 40 points ⎹ 13 assists ⎹ 0 turnovers
He’s the first player in our database with that stat line or better in a playoff game. #Nuggets ⎹ #MVP— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref)
Edwards could only laugh about it afterward saying, “He’s good man… He showed it these last three games.” Despite scoring just eighteen points himself on poor shooting percentages, Edwards acknowledged Jokic’s dominance: “I’ve got to give him his flowers.”
Denver dominated inside too by outscoring Minnesota significantly in paint points: sixty-two versus forty-eight. 🏀
The Timberwolves will try to bounce back as they host Game Six on Thursday at half-past eight Eastern Time
