Inside The Nuggets

Nikola Jokic Pulled Off Wild First Quarter Feat vs. Clippers

The Nuggets' big man had some of the best numbers of his career in the first quarter vs. the LA Clippers.
Nov 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Nikola Jokic put together a monster 55-point performance vs. the LA Clippers on the road Wednesday night for what wound up being a statement Denver Nuggets' victory, 130-116, as he ultimately led this group to their sixth-straight win in a row, lifting to 9-2.

But while Jokic's 55-point night was memorable enough, it was in the first quarter alone that the Nuggets' big man rattled off some of the best scoring we've seen in his career, along with putting together some significant NBA history unseen in nearly 30 years.

According to @NBAcrazystats on X, Jokic's 25 points in the first quarter vs. the Clippers was not only the highest-scoring first quarter of his career, but also the highest-scoring outing for a center through the first quarter since the 1996-97 season.

Nikola Jokic Had Historic First Quarter vs. Clippers

Jokic was on fire for the entire night in Los Angeles, but that remained especially true in the first quarter of the game. His 25 points came off of 8-11 shooting from the field with two makes from three, combined with a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

His performance vs. the Clippers also marked a career-first of scoring 50-plus points in a winning effort, going 0-4 in his previous outings, including his improbable 61-point performance of last season.

It's nothing new to see Jokic stamp his name further into the NBA history books as he seems to do on a nightly basis, but alas, it's another addition to a long-stretching resume for the Nuggets' star.

Nov 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Cli
Nov 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

His 34 minutes against the Clippers turned out to be Jokic's aggressive night on the offensive end since the 2025-26 season has started, and he did so as efficiently as ever, missing only five total shots from the field in his scoring explosion.

Through 11 games in the regular season, Jokic has started off by averaging an absurd 28.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 10.9 assists a night, leading the league in both boards and assists––something that, if keeping up through the entire regular season, would be an NBA first of a player leading the league in both stats.

The accomplishments keep on racking up for Jokic, and if he's able to keep up anything similar to what he presented against the Clippers for the rest of the season, he might continue to keep adding to that list with a fourth MVP at year's end.

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Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

Jared Koch is a sportswriter and editor covering the NFL and NBA for the On SI network since 2023.