The Denver Nuggets strengthened their playoff position with a triple double from history-making Nikola Jokic helping them to a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
The Serb put up 26 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds, and his 34th triple double performance ensured he will finish the regular season as just the third player averaging a triple double across an entire season.
The 15-point comeback victory was the second straight win for interim head coach David Adelman, who took over when Michael Malone was fired on Tuesday in a surprise move.
Malone, who led Denver to the NBA championship in 2023, was dismissed after a four-game losing streak.
The win means the Nuggets improve to 49-32 on the season and have a real chance of grabbing fourth place and home court advantage in the playoffs.
Aaron Gordon top scored with 33 points for Denver while Jamal Murray, back from a six-game injury absence, played a key role down the stretch and ended with 15 points and seven assists. The game was tied at 108 with 3:30 left but Murray and Jokic saw the Nuggets to the victory.
Murray put Denver ahead with a 15-foot step-back jumpshot and then he provided a clever behind-the-back assist to Jokic.
With 1:16 left, Russell Westbrook, one of the two other players in NBA history to have a season average triple double, set up Jokic for a two-point shot which put the game beyond Memphis.
Adelman paid tribute to Murray for the physical effort he put in after a lengthy absence with his ankle injury.
“You can tell he was exhausted. He hasn’t played in a long time… but the harder it gets, the more tired he gets, the better he plays. To watch those guys play the two-man game at the end, I know I’d buy a ticket to watch that,” he said.
Asked about Jokic’s latest display and his place in the record books, Adelman said: “If he doesn’t win the MVP then it is the greatest season of all-time not to win the MVP”. The loss leaves Memphis with a 47-34 record. They face Dallas in the final round of games on Sunday. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who have secured the top seed, convincingly beat the Utah Jazz 145-111 with Aaron Wiggins scoring 35 points and Isaiah Joe adding 32. The Thunder were without top scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who missed a second straight game with a shin injury.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have secured the top-seed, rallied for a 108-102 win over third-seeds the New York Knicks. Darius Garland scored 26 points for Cleveland, half of them in the fourth quarter, as the Cavs fought back from 23 points down. The Knicks secured the third seed when the Indiana Pacers, who sat out all their starters, lost 129-115 to the Orlando Magic. The Boston Celtics, the second seed, collected their 60th win of the season with a 130-94 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The New Orleans Pelicans suffered the heaviest regular season defeat in franchise history as they were crushed 153-104 by the Miami Heat.
Bam Adebayo was only on the court for 22 minutes but still put up 23 points and 12 rebounds as Miami, who led by 52 points at one stage, ran rampant against an injury weakened Pelicans.