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Nikola Jokic becomes 3rd player to record 500 points, 200 rebounds, & 150 assists in single playoff run

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated28 Sep 2023

Nuggets Nikola Jokic becomes 3rd player to record 500 points, 200 rebounds, & 150 assists in single playoff run

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets became the third player in NBA playoffs history to record 500 points, 200 rebounds, and 150 assists in a single postseason. The only other players to accomplish this feat are LeBron James (four times: 2015-18 and 2020) and Larry Bird (1987).

In Denver’s 111-108 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals, the five-time All-Star finished with 41 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in 42 minutes of action. Jokic shot 16-of-28 (57.1%) from the floor and drained two 3-pointers.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Nuggets are the odds-on favorite to win the 2023 NBA Finals. Check out which sportsbooks are still showing No. 1 odds for Nikola Jokic winning Finals MVP.


“They just put us in their rhythm,” Nikola Jokic said. “And we didn’t want to play that way, and they want to, obviously. But maybe just to play a little bit faster is going to help us.” The five-time All-NBA member is the first center in NBA history to record at least 500 points and 100 assists in a single postseason.

Furthermore, the Nuggets are 0-3 this postseason when Jokic scores 40 or more points. Denver is 13-1 when the two-time MVP scores less than 40. Those three losses in 40-point games are tied for the most by any player in a postseason in NBA history.

Nuggets are 0-3 this postseason when Nikola Jokic scores 40 or more points; Three losses in 40-point games are tied for the most by any player in a postseason in NBA history

Although the Nuggets outscored Miami 34-25 before halftime, the Heat went on to outscore them 36-25 in the fourth quarter. Gabe Vincent led Miami in scoring with 23 points. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each added 21 points as well. The Heat finished 38-of-78 (48.7%) shooting from the field and 17-of-35 (48.6%) beyond the arc.

Denver outscored Miami 18-5 in fast break points and 48-34 in the paint. Additionally, Nikola Jokic became the 14th different player in NBA history to score at least 41 in a finals loss. It was also Denver’s first loss since May 7, when the Phoenix Suns won 129-124 in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.


“Let’s talk about effort,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I mean, this is the NBA Finals and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well.”

Nikola Jokic now has as many 40-point finals games as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson.

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