Jokić reaches 200 career triple-doubles as Nuggets see off winless Pelicans

Nikola Jokić became only the second player in NBA history to record 200 career triple-doubles on Wednesday, finishing with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 104-91.

The milestone puts him alongside Russell Westbrook, who sits top of the all-time list with 209 from 18 seasons. According to the Associated Press, Jokić needs 10 more regular-season triple-doubles to move past him.

There was a small wrinkle in the record-keeping. The Associated Press listed Jokić's line as 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, while NBA.com had it as 21 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Either way, it counted, and either way it was a triple-double.

The Denver Post noted a neat symmetry too: both Jokić and Westbrook registered their 200th triple-double while wearing a Nuggets shirt.

A game Denver controlled from the first quarter

The Nuggets never trailed. They shot 62 per cent in the opening quarter and led 37-18 after 12 minutes, then stretched the advantage to 44-22 with about nine minutes left in the second.

Jokić did most of his scoring early, going 8 for 13 from the field with all 21 of his points coming before the fourth quarter, according to NBA.com. He finished with a team-best plus-17, though The Denver Post reported he also gave the ball away seven times.

New Orleans did make a game of it. A 9-0 run to close the third quarter cut the gap to 79-73, and a Zion Williamson three-pointer in the fourth brought the Pelicans within 88-83.

Jamal Murray killed the comeback. He answered with a three-pointer of his own and then a driving finger roll to push the lead back to 10, and Christian Braun hit three late threes to put the result beyond doubt.

Murray led Denver with 23 points. Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Braun scored 15 and Trevon Brazile added 11. Williamson scored 25 for the Pelicans.

Thin rotation, same result

Denver did this with a short bench. Cam Johnson and Alpha Diallo were missing, Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones remained out, and the Nuggets used only nine players because of their various injuries.

It was also the second time since Saturday they had beaten New Orleans. The two sides played a home-and-home pair, and Denver took the first leg in Denver after wiping out a 23-point deficit. The Denver Post described that home stand as ugly, which makes a wire-to-wire win on the road a useful reset.

The Pelicans' problems are more fundamental. They came into the night without a win and left 0-4 under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley, and their shooting told much of the story: 7 of 30 from three-point range, or 23.3 per cent.