Nikola Jokić drops career-high 19 assists while leading Nuggets past Pacers

Nikola Jokić couldn’t quite get to a triple-double on Monday night in Indianapolis, but he still found a way to make history.

The Denver Nuggets star dropped a career-high 19 assists while leading them to a 125-116 win over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That surpassed his previous best of 18.

He’s now the first center to record 19 assists in a single game since Wilt Chamberlain did so in 1968. Jokić trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time assists race among centers in league history. They are the only two centers that have surpassed the 5,000-assist mark, too.

Jokić’s final assist on Monday night came on a screen to Michael Porter Jr., who proceeded to throw down an easy dunk in the middle of the lane.

Denver led nearly the entire way on Monday night, thanks to Jokić’s near-triple-double. The three-time MVP had 18 points and nine rebounds to go with his 19 assists. He shot 9-of-14 from the field, too.

Aaron Gordon led Denver with 25 points, and Porter added 19 points and 11 rebounds. All five Denver starters hit double figures, and the team shot better than 56% from the field.

Myles Turner led Indiana with 23 points in the loss, which dropped them to 32-24 on the season. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 19 points and 15 assists, and Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Jokić and the Nuggets, who now hold a 38-20 record, will take on the Milwaukee Bucks next on Thursday night in Wisconsin.

This post will be updated with more information shortly.