Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic added to what has been an incredible season with another memorable performance against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. After missing Denver's previous game with a right wrist injury, Jokic returned to the lineup and turned in a triple-double -- 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds -- against Orlando. It was his league-leading 12th triple-double of the season.
In addition to posting an excellent stat line, Jokic also sank the game-winning shot on a step-back 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and give the Nuggets a 119-116 victory.
M.V.P ⭐️
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 16, 2023
17 PTS
10 REB
14 AST
Game Winner 💰 pic.twitter.com/IsOSsgQXmt
In addition to Jokic's triple-double, Aaron Gordon had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Denver, and Jamal Murray added 18 points and seven assists. The win helped to keep Denver atop the competitive Western Conference standings.
After winning the NBA MVP Award in each of the past two seasons, Jokic is building an excellent case for himself to win the award for a third consecutive year. He leads the league in PER, and he occupies the top spot on the latest edition of CBS Sports' NBA MVP rankings.
If Jokic is ultimately able to win the award for a third straight season, he'll join some elite company. Larry Bird (1984-1986) and Wilt Chamberlain (1966-1968) are the only players in NBA history to win the MVP three times in a row. There's still a lot of basketball to play this season, and plenty of other worthy candidates, but performances like this one against Orlando certainly help Jokic's cause.
