Nikola Jokić delivered an extraordinary 55-point performance, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 130-116 win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday night. The three-time MVP tied the NBA's season-high scoring mark while contributing 12 rebounds and six assists. This victory marked Denver's sixth straight win.
On the second night of a back-to-back, Nikola Jokić overcame early misses to erupt for 25 points in the first quarter, helping the Nuggets overcome a double-digit Clippers lead. He added eight points in the second quarter to reach 33 at halftime, then scored 19 in the third, including two personal six-point runs, to tilt the game in Denver's favor. Jokić returned midway through the fourth quarter with the Nuggets up by 19 and finished with three more points to secure the win.
Jokić shot 18-for-23 from the field, including 5-for-6 from three-point range and 14-for-16 from the free-throw line, while adding 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and two turnovers in 34 minutes. No other Nugget scored more than 18 points, with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon combining inefficiently from the field. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue explained their strategy: “Our game plan was to make him score — just take away his passing, take everybody else out of the game.” Despite limiting Jokić to a season-low six assists, Lue admitted, “I didn’t think he would score 55.”
Jokić's performance was his most productive ever by Game Score metric and came during Denver's six-game win streak, where he averaged 35.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 11.0 assists on 73.9% field-goal shooting and 55.6% from three. For the season, he averages 26.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 11.3 assists, leading the NBA in the last two categories. Nuggets coach David Adelman praised him: “He was extraordinary. That’s one of those performances you won’t forget.” Jokić, previously 0-4 in 50-point games, said, “It’s a good feeling.” This marked his first win in such outings, tying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's season-high 55 points.