Nikola Jokić Shatters NBA Record with 40-Point Triple-Double, Propelling Nuggets’ Championship Charge

Nikola Jokić is turning the early stages of the 2025-26 NBA season into his personal showcase, and the Denver Nuggets are riding the wave. The three-time MVP notched his seventh triple-double in 12 games—27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists—in a 123-112 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, stretching Denver’s winning streak to seven and reinforcing their status as Western Conference favorites. Triple-double tour continues Jokić’s latest stat-sheet masterpiece bumped his season averages to 28.7 points, 13.0 rebounds and 10.9 assists, keeping him on pace to average a triple-double for the second time in three years. Only Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook have managed that feat for a full season, but Jokić is threatening to do it with greater efficiency than either. Historic efficiency The Serbian center already owns the record for most 30-point triple-doubles while shooting 100 percent from the field, and earlier this week he poured in a career-high 55 points on 78 percent shooting—just the fourth player ever to hit 55+ on 75 percent or better from the floor. Advanced metrics rank him No. 1 league-wide in Player Impact Estimate and Box Plus/Minus, underscoring why betting markets have installed him as the early-season MVP favorite. Player of the Week honors—again On Monday, the NBA named Jokić Western Conference Player of the Week after he averaged 31.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 11.5 assists while Denver went 4-0. It’s his 19th weekly award, tying Kevin Durant for fifth most since the honor’s inception. Managing a nagging wrist issue The Nuggets listed Jokić as questionable with a sore right wrist before the Timberwolves game, but he suited up and dominated anyway. Head coach Michael Malone hinted the team will continue trimming the big man’s minutes—he’s down to 33.0 per game, a career low—to ensure he’s fresh for the postseason push. Denver is a respectable –1.5 in net rating when he sits, up from –5.8 last year, suggesting the bench can finally tread water while he rests. Upcoming schedule Denver wraps up its four-game road swing tonight in Chicago, where fans are already Googling “Is Nikola Jokić playing vs Bulls?” According to the latest injury report, he’s probable; barring a setback, the United Center should witness another Serbian clinic. The Nuggets then face potential Finals preview opponents Oklahoma City and Boston next week, giving Jokić a national stage to cement his MVP lead. Bigger picture: legacy building At 30, Jokić is rewriting both box scores and record books. He needs 28 more triple-doubles to pass LeBron James for fourth all-time and 34 to eclipse Jason Kidd for third. If his current pace holds, those milestones could fall before the All-Star break. Add a second championship—or even another Finals run—and debates about the greatest offensive hub in NBA history will have a new leading candidate. Bottom line Search traffic around “Nikola Jokić stats,” “triple-double record” and “Nuggets next game” is surging for good reason: every night he plays, history seems likely to happen. Whether you’re a fantasy manager, bettor or casual fan, keeping tabs on Jokić has become essential viewing—and clicking.