Game Recap: Nuggets 132, Jazz 121
Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to have a triple-double with zero turnovers and shoot 100% from the field and the free-throw line in the Denver Nuggets’ 132-121 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
Westbrook finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 7 for 7 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line to join Sacramento Kings standout Domantas Sabonis in the history books.
Aside from that, he also joined teammate Nikola Jokić as the only players in NBA history to have multiple career triple-doubles without missing a shot. Westbrook, the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, notched his 201st career triple-double in the victory.
Seeing (triple) double 👀
Russ: 16 PTS / 10 REB / 10 AST
Joker: 36 PTS / 22 REB / 11 AST pic.twitter.com/D0zPTSKGNV— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 31, 2024
"He's one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game."
Coach Michael Malone gives @russwest44 his well-deserved flowers 💐 https://t.co/0adj31VtED pic.twitter.com/5H4MW0W6EI
— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2024
Jokić also had a triple-double with 36 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists, with 17 of those points coming in the third quarter. Jamal Murray had 10 assists to go along with 20 points. Denver struggled again when Jokić was on the bench, but once he returned in the fourth quarter, he immediately hit a 3-pointer and found Westbrook for a dunk and his 10th assist a couple minutes later.
Jokić notched his fifth career 30-20-10 game, the third-most in NBA history. Additionally, this marked the first regular-season game since Dec. 28, 2021 in which two teammates recorded a triple-double in the same game. Westbrook teamed with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers to accomplish the feat, with Westbrook finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and James notching 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Strong end to the year pic.twitter.com/qJBYzqsE3M
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 31, 2024
The last time three teammates had 10 or more assists in a game was 32 years ago, when Larry Bird (12 assists), Dee Brown (10 assists) and John Bagley (10 assists) pulled off the feat in the Boston Celtics’ 152-148 double-overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 15, 1992.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
