https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3112335/nikola-jokic

I was taking a look at game logs and was wondering if there’s a stretch of games from a player in recent history that has this level of efficiency and dominance while only playing three quarters, and what I’ve found is that this may perhaps be the most efficient, winning-est stretch in the league.

All 4 games are wins, with an average margin of victory for the Nuggets being by 21.75 points.

I had looked at game logs from this season and from the last, seeing if I could find stretches like this where an MVP candidate player only plays for three quarters (in wins), and it doesn’t seem to exist - even from Jokic last season.

The next best thing I’ve been able to find is actually SGA’s current stretch of the last 5 games. He’s been averaging 33 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 2.4 steals on only 30 minutes (however in the middle of this stretch he played minutes in every quarter for a game).

Jokic’s stretch of three-quarter triple double performances has been getting plenty of attention, and deservedly so, but nobody is talking about how truly bizarre and anomalous it is by the numbers. What we’re witnessing hasn’t been done before. He might be the real alien.

PM-me-your-401k | Timberwolves

65 | 8 hours ago

This is the most dominant I’ve ever seen Jokic play. It’s crazy to watch Jokic from 2021-2024 and think, “this man has another level.”

bdybwyi

14 | 7 hours ago

It’s funny because if his 2 point touch returns next year to its prior ability he will gain another level further. His touch has been bad for him but still incredible based on the rest of the league.

Sammonov | Nuggets

14 | 7 hours ago

I think it’s just been bad spacing/crowded paint and having to up his usage so much.

The last 4 games, he is hardly taking any 3s, and his usage is way down. The Nuggets are looking more like the Nuggets lately.

bdybwyi

5 | 7 hours ago

I’d have to disagree, there have been so many easy buckets he’s just simply missed on put backs or in the paint touches. You can always tell when he’s mad at himself after an easy shot miss and I feel like there’s been more of those this year than normal. Lately tho yeah we’ve been cooking, I’m curious to see how we fare against better competition tho coming up.

Sammonov | Nuggets

0 | 6 hours ago

I dunno, he’s never played with a paint this packed and having to carry 30% + usage. He’s often playing in lineups with 2 or 3 non-shooters, seeing multiple bodies at the rim while having to be a volume scorer.

SliMShady55222 | Supersonics

29 | 8 hours ago

The man is also averaging more smiles than I have ever seen.

I think he’s just genuinely happy he’s not asked to score as much.

jacobythefirst | Pelicans

1 | an hour ago

A total reversal. When he scored 55 versus the wizards he looked tortured

No_Stomach_2341

12 | 6 hours ago

His advanced stats skyrocketed to unimaginable heights. During that 4 game span his ws/48 were around .500 which is quite honestly almost unbelievable

Superstar_Rezo | Nuggets

7 | 5 hours ago

past 3 games i.e. Arm-Sleeve Jok has:

24/13/10/3/1 with 72/60/94 with 2TOV/1PF in avg 30 mins +/-16avg

Shideya-

5 | 5 hours ago

As a Thunder fan, appreciate greatness from Jokic and SGA no need to bash one or the other in every post just to put the other one “ahead” for the MVP.

With the current level of Jokic and some help from the starters they look really good right now. Probably lurking for that #2 seed in the west the moment Houston slips a bit.

Domainsetter

1 | 8 hours ago

Getting back to his end of last regular season form.

chickenripp | Suns

1 | 6 hours ago

Only scoring 20 points… scrub lol

Blindeafmuten | Bucks

0 | 4 hours ago

3 quarters but never less than 30 minutes.

The only difference than his usual amazing numbers is a relatively increased assist rate per 36 minutes and a lower scoring rate per 36 minutes but with better percentages.

Which means, that when the rest of the team is playing well and is making their shots, Jokic doesn’t need to bail them out by forcing shots and winning comes easier.

Educational-Pool7061

-11 | 8 hours ago

Embiid last year was doing crazy work in 3 quarters

Steph in 2016

Expensive-Salad-7828

17 | 8 hours ago

Thanks for the reminder on Embiid, he totally slipped my mind honestly.

He does have a comparable stretch of three quarter performances, which is also 4 games. He was averaging 37 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.75 assists. (These were games versus the Wizards, the Pistons twice, and then the Hornets).

YourOpinionlsDumb

1 | 5 hours ago

As a Denver fan, I firmly believe that Joel would’ve won MVP last year if he didn’t get injured. He was absolutely torching the first 2 months, it was insane. Yes, foul baiting and all that aside, he was dropping 35 a game ffs, that’s absurd.

Disastrous_Bluejay57 | Nuggets

1 | 3 hours ago

He was the MVP favourite for a reason

Fate_Unseen | Nuggets

-24 | 8 hours ago

Nobody wants to hear it anymore. This is SGA’s year. Period.

joebreezy12 | Thunder

16 | 8 hours ago

i mean, the original poster wrote it in the description, as insane as Jokic’s last 4 games have been, SGA is right on par. He’s played 4 total 4th quarter minutes in his last 5 games combined. He’s scoring 33 per game on 61% shooting over those 5 games.

Both these guys are on an insane run right now and distancing themselves from the rest of the field.

Naive-Air2866

7 | 8 hours ago

Well Sga in the last four games without ethier of his starting centers has averaged 32 8 4 on 70% true shooting playing only one fourth quarter himself. Both are playing amazing

MileHi49er | Nuggets

3 | 8 hours ago

I mean… its only the halfway point of the season.

Fate_Unseen | Nuggets

-12 | 8 hours ago

You wouldn’t know it. They play each other twice in March, but it won’t matter unless they destroy OKC. It would have to be biblical.

ShinobuSimp | Nuggets

10 | 7 hours ago

“They”? Get that nuggets flair off lmfao

Mustard_Jam | Lakers

11 | 6 hours ago

The classic “let me flair up with another team to make my point seem more valid”

There’s no shot a legit Nuggets fan would be running a SGA PR campaign.

ShinobuSimp | Nuggets

4 | 5 hours ago

Yeah like idm him winning an MVP but ofc Ill root for my guy

THUNDER-GUN04 | Nuggets

3 | 4 hours ago

For real. I really like SGA and have said many times that if he wins, it will be well deserved, and no one should be upset.

I’m not out yet stumping for him for some reason, though, lol.

LurkerFailsLurking | Nuggets

1 | 6 hours ago

Me, three months ago:

The only way Jokic wins another MVP this year is if he averages a 25+ point triple double AND the Nuggets are at least 3rd seed, and maybe not even then.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1gj4e5z/comment/lvawn3d/

Nikola Jokic over the past 4 games has been averaging 20 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 block, and 2.5 steals… only playing 3 quarters.