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Jokic Ties Westbrook with 221st Triple-Double, Leads Denver Past Minnesota

4/29/2026

27 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Jokic Ties Record

Nikola Jokic posted his 221st career triple-double with 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds, tying Russell Westbrook for the NBA record.
He shot 9-for-15 from the field, 8-for-10 on free throws and 1-for-4 from three-point range in 38 minutes.
Denver beat Minnesota 125-113 in Game 5, narrowing the series to 3-2 and forcing Game 6 in Minnesota on April 30.

Summary

Spencer Jones Shines

Spencer Jones started for Aaron Gordon and posted a playoff career-high 20 points with four threes.
Minnesota lost Anthony Edwards (knee) and Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) as Denver missed Peyton Watson (hamstring) and saw Aaron Gordon limited by a calf injury, leaving both teams shorthanded.
Both teams recorded 25 turnovers, prompting coach David Adelman to criticize soft screens and praise a 38 % three-point shooting jump (11-of-29) in Game 5.

History

Historical Context

In 1962 Oscar Robertson became the first player to average a triple-double, posting 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists and recording 41 triple-doubles that season. Decades later the NBA’s emphasis on all-round play led Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets to log his 221st triple-double in 2024, surpassing Russell Westbrook’s career record of 209.

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Jokic Ties Record

Nikola Jokic posted his 221st career triple-double with 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds, tying Russell Westbrook for the NBA record.
He shot 9-for-15 from the field, 8-for-10 on free throws and 1-for-4 from three-point range in 38 minutes.
Denver beat Minnesota 125-113 in Game 5, narrowing the series to 3-2 and forcing Game 6 in Minnesota on April 30.

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