When one thinks about the face of the triple-double, two players may come to mind. One is the all-time leader in the category, Russell Westbrook. The other is three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic. The 6- foot-11 center is just shy this year of becoming the third player ever to average a triple-double in a season.
Remarkably, they are now currently teammates with the Denver Nuggets. On Friday, the two future Hall of Famers made history in Denver’s win.
Nikola Jokic And Russell Westbrook Make NBA History On Friday
Jokic And Westbrook Make Triple-Double History
On Friday evening, the Nuggets defeated the Brooklyn Nets by the score of 124-105. The win improved Denver’s record to 22-15, fourth-best in the Western Conference. The win was a historic one for the legendary duo. They became the first pair of teammates to have triple-doubles in the same game more than once.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE MACHINES
Jokić: 35p, 15a, 12r
They are the first pair of teammates in NBA history to both record a triple-double in the same game MULTIPLE TIMES in a single season
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One of the favorites to win MVP, which would be his fourth, Jokic had a typical performance in which he dominated the opponent on Friday. He finished the outing with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists (also had four steals). The 29-year-old shot 14-21 from the field, 6-8 from the free-throw line, and made his one three-point try.
Jokic certainly wasn’t the only Nuggets player to stuff the stat sheet on Friday. In his first season with the Nuggets, Westbrook has looked revitalized after a slow start. In the contest against the Nets, his final stat line consisted of 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The 36-year-old shot 8-17 from the field, 2-5 from beyond the arc, and 7-9 from the charity stripe.
This was the second time that the pair each secured a triple-double in the same game. They also did so 11 days prior to Friday on December 30 in Denver’s 132-121 win over the Utah Jazz. In that contest, Jokic finished with 36 points, 22 rebounds, and 11 assists. Westbrook had a game of 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Westbrook Extends His All-Time Record
Friday was Jokic’s league-leading 15th triple-double of the season. The Serbian superstar is four assists shy of being on pace to become the third player ever to average a triple-double for the season (316 assists in 32 outings), Friday was the 145th triple-double of his career, already the third-most in league history.
One name that he is looking up at on that list is his teammate Westbrook. Friday helped to extend his NBA record of now 202 triple-doubles. That is 21 more then Oscar Robertson, who is second on the list with 181.
Westbrook and Robertson are the only two to average a triple-double in a season. The former is the only one to accomplish the feat in multiple seasons. Westbrook first did so in 2016-17, when he was named MVP while with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also did so the following two seasons with Oklahoma City as well as 2020-21 while playing for the Washington Wizards.
Now in his 17th season, Westbrook has looked rejuvenated with his new team. He now has three triple-doubles this season. He had just one in 89 outings with his previous team, the Los Angeles Clippers. After a slow start, Denver is now experiencing more vintage Westbrook performances.
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