NBA Top Five Performances, March 12: Nikola Jokic’s Triple Double Nearly Lifted the Denver Nuggets Over the Brooklyn Nets

MVP candidate Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets had a monster night but came up just short against Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets

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The Denver Nuggets dropped their third straight game against the Brooklyn Nets but Nikola Jokic continued to show why he is the MVP frontrunner. Denver’s loss was not without a strong performance by Jokic, who had 35 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists. He became the first player in 40 years to have multiple games with at least 35 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. 

This was Jokic’s 27th triple-double this season, more than the next three league leaders (Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, and Domantas Sabonis) combined.

Jokic’s performance was admirable, but Nuggets coach Michael Malone expressed the urgency to improve as a team.

“I think the most important thing for me as a head coach is the delicate balance of coaching, holding guys accountable and teaching, but also not panicking,” Malone said. “Losing sucks, but let’s stay together, stay poised, and find a way to put 48 minutes together.”

OTHERS:

- Julius Randle’s 33 points helped the New York Knicks defeat the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers.

- Trey Murphy III’s career-high 41-point performance propelled the New Orleans Pelicans to victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Murphy went 9 of 14 from 3-point range to give New Orleans their second win in the last five games.

- Joel Embiid had 34 points, four blocks, and eight rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers’ win against the Washington Wizards. Since ending the Milwaukee Bucks’ win streak, the Sixers are on a run with five consecutive victories.

- Donovan Mitchell’s big fourth quarter lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers out of a slump against the Charlotte Hornets. Darius Garland led the team in scoring, but Mitchell’s 23-point performance, including 10 in the fourth quarter, gave Cleveland the late push Sunday night.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.