After a decisive 139-120 victory against the Atlanta Hawks, the Denver Nuggets have climbed back to 4th place in Western Conference with a 19-13 record. They are currently riding a three-game winning streak, thanks to the rejuvenated chemistry between Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets are now 9-2 with Westbrook in the starting lineup.
Recently, the Westbrook-Jokic duo achieved a triple-double in a win against the Utah Jazz. This performance solidified Westbrook’s position as an invaluable asset for the former champs, who are eyeing another title run this year.
The Siberian Joker has never taken his foot off the pedal—he’s been a triple-double monster, day in and day out. Meanwhile, other teammates, like Jamal Murray and Westbrook, are fully embracing their roles as the second and third options, respectively.
In an on-court interview with Vic Lombardi of Altitude Sports after the victory, Westbrook had this to say about his teammate, Jokic:
He’s the best player in the world. My job is to make the game easy for him, and he does it for everybody else. And it’s a pleasure to be able to share the floor with him.
Russell Westbrook claimed
In the past, Russell Westbrook has faced a lot of blame for destroying roster chemistry instead of improving it. From the Rockets to the Clippers, he hasn’t received much positive press in recent years. However, the storyline is starting to change for the 2017 MVP as he has found his stride once again.
Russell Westbrook after the #Nuggets‘ win on his chemistry w/ Nikola Jokic:
“He’s the best player in the world. My job is to make the game easy for him, and he does it for everybody else. And it’s a pleasure to be able to share the floor with him.”#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/0ySMwdgBs5
— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) January 2, 2025
Despite registering only 16 points, Russell Westbrook was especially efficient tonight versus the Hawks. He made 5-of-6 from field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arch with 11 dishes, mostly to Jokic and 2 rebounds. Considering he had a triple double before this, seems like Westbrook is playing with a newfound groove on the court since he has accepted his role as a supporter.
Nikola Jokic proclaims that Russell Westbrook is the King of Triple-Doubles
Mile High City fans have dubbed the Jokic-Westbrook duo as “triple-double twins,” and there’s a reason why. Last month, Nikola Jokic surpassed LeBron James(5th) and Magic Johnson(4th) to become the number 3 all-time leader in triple-doubles. After achieving such a significant milestone, Joker stated that his next goal is to eclipse his teammate Westbrook, whom he calls the undisputed “King.”
The goal is to beat one of my teammates now. Russ, he is the King (of triple-doubles) right now. So, I will need a lot of years, if I ever do it, actually. So that’s the goal.
Nikola Jokic remarked after surpassing Magic Johnson
“The goal is to beat my teammate now.” 😂
After rising to 3rd on the all-time triple-doubles list (139), Jokić has his sights set on Russell Westbrook’s all-time record (200)! pic.twitter.com/79kpYePwax
— NBA (@NBA) December 6, 2024
Russell Westbrook, the all-time leader in triple-doubles, recently recorded his 201st triple-double. Joker isn’t too far behind, with 144 triple-doubles, putting him in 3rd place on the list. Despite the significant disparity between their numbers, Jokic believes that it’s meaningless unless he becomes number one and surpasses Westbrook.
This season, Nikola Jokic has been particularly effective in scoring triple-doubles and might be able to surpass Westbrook in time if he maintains his current form. So far, he has outscored Westbrook in the triple-double race by 13-2. Joker is averaging over 30 points per game, 13 rebounds, and 9.7 assists. Realistically, Jokic is only missing by an inch when it comes to scoring a triple-double in nearly every game he plays. That’s unheard of before.
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