Nikola Jokic is simply not human.
The NBA‘s reigning MVP proved that again on Friday night, putting up 27 points and 14 rebounds before sitting the fourth quarter as the Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz 129-93.
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Jokic had 11 rebounds in the first quarter alone, nearly matching his game average of 12.8.
But it was what he did in the dying seconds of the first half that really caught the eye.
‘The Joker’ converted another buzzer-beating heave, this one from the top of the 3-point arc on the other side of halfcourt to beat the halftime clock.
He made the effort look laughably casual, with a legitimate Euro step before launching a one-handed, one-footed 62-ft shot that crashed through the hoop.
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Quite incredibly, this isn’t even the first time Jokic has done that this season.
He hit a near full-court shot against Sacramento on January 23.
That was from even farther away than Friday’s effort, and again was a one-handed flip.
But thanks to his second effort, Jokic has joined Steph Curry in the NBA record books.
According to CBS Sports, they are the only two players in league history to make two shots from at least 60 feet in the same season.
Jokic is one of the few players in the NBA who overlooks his shooting percentages to hurl heaves at the end of the quarter, and against the Jazz he was rewarded for doing so once again.
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So far this season, he has taken a league-high 20 heaves, which are defined as shots from beyond half court.
That’s almost double that of the next closest player, Mikal Bridges, who has taken 11.
As well as joining Curry in the record books, Jokic also made history in another way as he became the fastest player in NBA history to reach 16,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists.
He did so in 739 games, beating the previous fastest player, Larry Bird, who reached that milestone in 799 games.
If he continues to play like this, Jokic will surely be odds on to secure his fourth MVP award.
With a win on Friday night, Denver were able to pad their lead in the fight for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
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The Nuggets are ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies by two games.
Against the Jazz, 11 players scored on Friday, and Denver’s bench outscored Utah’s, 52-43.
“We don’t have selfish guys,” head coach Michael Malone said after the blowout win.
“We don’t have ‘me’ guys. We have ‘we’ guys.”
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With the NBA hurtling towards playoff season next month, there’s plenty riding on the remaining games.
Reigning champions the Boston Celtics are chasing back-to-back titles, and will be the first team to do this since 2018 if they’re successful.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Luka Dončić’s Lakers are looking to win LA’s first championship since 2020.
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