Nikola Jokic started off tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder pretty quietly. He had 3 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists when he sat down to end the first quarter.
Of course, over the next 3 quarters he’d pump that stat-line into the stratosphere. Per @NBA, Jokic is the first player since Shaq to have at least 29 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 blocks in a game. Being an 82nd-game All-Star doesn’t usually mean much with all the resting of players that goes on, but it was Jokic’s determination to get to the line that really paid off in this one. He was 11-14 from the charity stripe, a career-high in both makes and attempts.
If Jokic is willing to take his fouls inside and get to the line next year that would be another growth point in an already-varied offensive approach. Until then, enjoy his last game of the year and all the stat-stuffing that goes with it!
