Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to record over 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single postseason as his Denver Nuggets established a two-game lead in the NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are closing in on a first NBA championship in franchise history as they lead the Miami Heat 3-1 in the series. In Game 4, Aaron Gordon led the way with 27 points as Denver snatched a 108-95 win at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Jokic was dominant once more, dictating the tempo as the Nuggets offence flowed through him. The two-time MVP tallied 23 points and 12 rebounds, as well as four key assists.
Jokic - who has redefined the centre position with his unprecedented play - made NBA history on Friday. He became the first player in league history to record over 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists during a single playoff run to highlight his dominant, well-rounded game.
The statistics prove what many have felt while watching Jokic lead the Nuggets to the NBA Finals: he is putting together one of the all-time great postseason runs by an individual player. While Denver possess a well-constructed roster with talented players throughout, Jokic continues to stand out as the heartbeat of the franchise.
This was highlighted in Game 3, when Jokic put together the first 30-20-10 game in NBA Finals history to help Denver reclaim a series lead. The 28-year-old put up 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in the crucial win, which came after the Heat had hit back and leveled the Finals at 1-1.
Denver are now in a strong position to win the championship, as only one team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals - the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors. Jokic is not getting ahead of himself though, insisting the team is just focused on securing the next game and the title.
“It's still one win,” Jokic told reporters after Game 4. “We need to win one more.
“I like that we didn't relax. We didn't get comfortable. We were still desperate. We still want it. That's what makes me happy, that guys didn't relax.”
Jokic and the Nuggets take on the Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
