When the words: Nikola Jokic is coming to town, teams all across the NBA should be shaking in their boots. The Raptors became the latest Denver Nuggets opponent to get burned by the superstar center in their home arena, and Jokic reached a career milestone in the process on Wednesday night in Toronto.
In a 113-104 victory over the Raptors, Jokic shot 13 for 23, scored 31 points, had 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. Those six assists included a behind-the-back pass to Gordon in the first half, and his 31 points included nine late-game points.
Jokic surpassed 30 points for the first time against Toronto, becoming the first player in NBA history to do it.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who knows Jokic from their time together on the Serbian national team, congratulated him on his 400th career double-double and NBA-leading 24th of the season.
“That’s Nikola Jokic,” stated Rajakovic. “It’s nothing new in this league, it’s happening every single night.”
Jokic expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play in Canada, where he claims there is a sizable Serbian population.