Nikola Jokić recorded his third consecutive triple-double — and his 18th of the season — in the Denver Nuggets' 113–100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Jokić scored 20 points with 14 rebounds and 10 assists, also adding three blocks and three steals. The next closest player to Jokic in triple-doubles this season is LeBron James, who currently has eight for the Los Angeles Lakers.
With 18 triple-doubles, Jokić has compiled the fourth-highest season total in that category for his career. He'll tie his third-highest season total (set in 2021–22) with his next triple-double. The most that Jokić has recorded during his career was 29 during the 2022-23 season. The NBA record for triple-doubles in a season is 42, set by Russell Westbrook (now Jokić's teammate) in 2016–17.
The Nuggets have 40 games remaining on their regular season schedule after Sunday's contest. Westbrook's mark, which broke a mark set by Oscar Robertson that lasted for 55 years, is probably out of reach for Jokić. But a new career-high in that category this season seems attainable.
Christian Braun also scored 20 with 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who improved their record to 26–16 and helped maintain the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Jamal Murray added 19, followed by Michael Porter Jr.'s 15 points. Denver has won six of its past seven games and seven of its last 10.
Sunday's defeat was the third straight for the Magic, who have lost seven of their past 10 games and fallen to the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando is only a half-game behind the Atlanta Hawks and a half-game ahead of the Miami Heat.
Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with 16 points and 14 rebounds, followed by 14 points off the bench from Anthony Black. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tristan da Silva each scored 12 points.
Denver returns home after its two-game Florida trip to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. (Unfortunately, there won't be a Jokic versus Joel Embiid faceoff with the Sixers center sidelined with swelling in his left knee.) Orlando travels to Toronto for a Tuesday matchup with the Raptors.