Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic logs 6th triple-double in January to top New Orleans Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — Nikola Jokic scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half to go with 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets held off the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans 116-105 on Friday night.

It was the reigning NBA MVP's sixth triple-double in January, tied for the most in a calendar month in his career (January 2019). The only other center with at least six triple-doubles in a calendar month is Wilt Chamberlain, who did it four times.

Jokic has 69 career triple-doubles and is nine away from tying Chamberlain for sixth on the all-time list.

Nikola Jokic and Wilt Chamberlain are the only centers in NBA history with six or more triple-doubles in a calendar month.

«He can take over a game when he wants,» said Nuggets guard Bryn Forbes, who scored 14 points. «That's what he did.»

Jokic had just seven points during a closely contested first half, after which the Nuggets led 50-48. He proceeded to score 16 points in the first 11 minutes of the second half, hitting three of the four 3-point shots in that stretch.

«When Jok is making 3s, he's pretty much unguardable,» said Aaron Gordon, who scored 20 points for Denver. «Just the MVP doing MVP things.»

With Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray not yet playing this season because of his lengthy recovery from reconstructive knee surgery last year, Jokic has been able to look to Gordon to help keep Denver rolling.

«Love playing with him — his court vision, his passing ability, his passion for the game and just his ability is tremendous,» Gordon, who plays small forward, said of Jokic. «Playing with somebody like that is just fun, makes the game fun.

»He plays the right way, makes the right reads. He's an unselfish, high-character guy. Just an amazing basketball player,"