Murray drops 53, Jokic flirts with 20-20-20 triple-double: “Incredible”
Jamal Murray explodes for 53 points and Nikola Jokic comes close to a historic 20-20-20 triple-double. Praise from coach Adelman
A night to remember at Ball Arena: Jamal Murray erupted for a 53-point performance, while Nikola Jokic nearly pulled off something never seen before with an almost 20-20-20 triple-double in the Denver Nuggets’ 142-135 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Jamal Murray goes for 53
The unquestioned star of the night was Murray, who delivered a devastating offensive performance:
19-of-28 from the field, 9-of-14 from three, and complete control of the game throughout.
He had already taken over in the first half with 33 points, including a personal 14-point run that broke the game open. When Dallas cut the deficit to just one in the fourth quarter (127-126), it was once again Murray who sealed it:
- three-pointer
- step-back jumper
- total leadership in clutch possessions
Not a career-high (55), but one of his most complete and impactful performances.
Jokic flirts with an unreal triple-double
Alongside him, Jokic did what Jokic does – but at an even higher level:
- 23 points
- 21 rebounds
- 19 assists (season-high)
Just two assists shy of a 20-20-20 triple-double, something virtually unprecedented.
On top of that, he reached another milestone: 6000 career assists, achieved in the second quarter on a pass to Murray.
Coach Adelman’s praise
Postgame, coach David Adelman highlighted the historic value of the duo:
We’ve watched them grow from young talents into a historic pairing for this franchise. With all the great teams we have in this city, these two have managed to stand above the rest for a decade
David Adelman
With this win, their fourth straight, Denver improves to 46-28, moving into a tie for fourth place in the West (holding the tiebreaker over Minnesota).