By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic continued his historic march through the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on Wednesday night, steering the Denver Nuggets to their tenth consecutive victory with a 136-119 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena.
The Serbian superstar tallied 14 points, 15 rebounds, and ten assists in just 31 minutes of action, marking his 34th triple-double of the campaign. By converting 5 of his 8 field goal attempts, the Sombor native further solidified his grip on a season where he leads the league in both rebounding and assists. “Just finding a way to win a game. That’s the most important thing, and that’s what stood out to me,” Jokic remarked on the current streak during his postgame media session.
The victory improved Denver’s record to 52-28, tightening their hold on the third seed in the Western Conference. Despite the Nuggets’ eventual dominance, the contest remained competitive through the first half as the Grizzlies, coached by Finland’s 43-year-old Tuomas Iisalo, led 72-68 at the break. “I thought for a long time, Murray and Jokic really kept them in the game. They are a very good basketball team,” recapped Iisalo in his postgame press conference. The Nuggets eventually broke the game open with a 31-13 run late in the third quarter, allowing Jokic to rest for the entire final period.
European talent was on full display throughout the evening, beyond the Joker’s brilliance. Lithuanian veteran Jonas Valanciunas celebrated a career milestone, scoring 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting from inside the arc in his 1,000th regular-season game. For the Grizzlies, French reserve Adama Bal contributed 12 points and 6 rebounds in a heavy 39-minute shift, though the visitors left French guard Rayan Rupert out of the lineup and injured Spanish forward Santi Aldama, who continues his right knee injury recovery.
With only two games remaining against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, the 31-year-old Serbian center remains focused on the collective momentum of the team. “We just need to play good and feel good about ourselves. Just because the league is so talented. Anybody can beat everybody, so just playing good and having the right rhythm,” Jokic noted.
When asked about tracking his personal production during the game, he admitted he understands he has posted another triple-double ‘especially when I see the stats out there’.