It wasn’t the result the Denver Nuggets wanted, but Nikola Jokić had a historic night in Game 6 of the team’s first round series against the San Antonio Spurs. The 24-year-old scored 43 points in San Antonio, breaking a 36-year-old franchise record for points scored in a playoff game.
Former Nuggets guard Alex English scored 42 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference first round against the Phoenix Suns in 1983. Three years later, he would match the feat against the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the semifinals. It would take decades for any other Nugget to match the feat as Carmelo Anthony would tie that franchise high in 2010 against the Jazz in Game 1 in the first round.
Jokić finished Thursday night’s game with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists on an impressive 63.3 percent shooting. He is the fourth player to accomplish those numbers in a playoff game, joining the likes of Charles Barkley, Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. He is the first-ever player to have those stats along with three steals. He was especially dominant in the third quarter, where he scored 17 points. Despite the Game 6 loss, its another impressive moment in the young career of the Nuggets’ All-Star center.