Nugnets beat Pelicans in Jokic milestone

Nikola Jokic recorded his 200th career triple-double on Wednesday night during a Denver Nuggets victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Serbian center finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as his team won 104-91 on the road.

The performance places Jokic within nine triple-doubles of the NBA record held by Russell Westbrook. Westbrook, who retired this summer, owns the career high with 209 such games. The Nuggets’ star is now on pace to break that mark in the coming weeks.

This was Jokic’s second triple-double of the current season. He has averaged a triple-double in each of the last two campaigns, posting 34 such games in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The achievement adds to his three MVP awards, which he won in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

Oscar Robertson holds the third-highest total in NBA history with 181 career triple-doubles. Jokic’s recent consistency has moved him past Robertson and into the direct pursuit of Westbrook’s long-standing benchmark.

In other action, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Indiana Pacers 114-109 in a game marked by an injury to Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers star suffered a hamstring injury and will miss at least two weeks. Haliburton had played in the first four games of the season, averaging 21.3 points and 9.5 assists before returning to the sidelines.

LeBron James contributed 13 points and 10 assists in the win for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 27 points, while Joel Embiid and Paul George recorded double-doubles. The victory moves the 76ers to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 4-1 record, leaving the Pacers with a 2-3 mark.