It wouldn’t be an NBA season without Nikola Jokić finding ways to uniquely stuff the stat sheet.
As the Denver Nuggets (3-1) made easy work of the New Orleans Pelicans (0-4), Jokić crafted his fourth consecutive triple-double to open the 2025-26 season, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62 season) on a short list of players to begin a season with four triple-doubles in a row. In the 1961-62 season, Robertson became the first player in league history to average a triple-double for a full season, a feat since matched by only Jokić last season and Russell Westbrook four times.
Jokić, the three-time MVP, tossed together 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished 10 assists and notched two steals in 28 minutes of play, during which the Nuggets outscored the Pelicans by 25 points. It marked the 168th triple-double of the Joker’s career, leaving him behind only Robertson (181) and Westbrook (203) for the most in NBA history.
His effort also helped the Nuggets begin the season with three wins in their first four games, marking the second time in three seasons they’ve done so (started 4-0 in 2023-24). Denver’s offense, which got a new look over the offseason by trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson, remains as high-octane as ever, having entered Wednesday ranked third in offensive efficiency, per NBA.com (124.1 points per 100 possessions).
And there’s no reason, so long as Jokić is employed by the Nuggets, to expect their offense to be anything less than fun to watch.
Nikola Jokić working out of ‘delay’ (5-out) spacing is so lethal pic.twitter.com/9Y2wSVbpmc
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) October 30, 2025
There has never been a player who dominates the way Jokić can. On any given possession, he can need no more than two dribbles, see a wide-open teammate sitting for a corner 3 without turning his head, orchestrate a transition score after grabbing the rebound or use his deft touch to make a long-range 3, sink an awkward floater or, as you can see in this example from Wednesday’s win, run some fun two-man game with Jamal Murray to give us a unique combination of everything he can do at a moment’s notice.
Against New Orleans, he also did a great job flashing active hands on defense before channeling his inner Vince Carter via a transition dunk off the feed from Murray. He entered the game with one dunk in 109 minutes of play this season.
JOK DUNK ALERT pic.twitter.com/MoqDwdS48S
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 30, 2025
Even on plays when Jokić isn’t credited with the score or dime, he knows how to get fans on their feet and leave everyone in awe of what to expect next, as evidenced by his one-handed outlet pass to fourth-year forward Peyton Watson, who found Murray for a 3-point score to wrap the possession. The Nuggets entered Wednesday ranked eighth among all teams with 18.3 fast-break points per game.
Gotta be ready for anything 😏 pic.twitter.com/zL960Rr3mc
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 30, 2025
Next up for the Nuggets will be the Portland Trail Blazers, who will host Denver on Friday to begin their runs in this season’s NBA In-Season Tournament. In that matchup, Jokić will seek to become the first player in NBA history to open a season with five consecutive triple-doubles. Last season, he had two separate instances of five consecutive triple-doubles.
In case you’re wondering but don’t want to cue up your Sporcle account, do know Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 became, of course, the first and only other center to do so, meaning all remains normal in the basketball world.
