Nikola Jokic had the Denver Nuggets on a 9-game winning streak coming out of the All-Star break, but that came to an end thanks to a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, led by their new star duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Jokic and the Nuggets were back in action on Monday evening and bounced back with a 125-116 win over Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. 

Jokic could do whatever he wanted offensively, nearly recording another triple-double. The Serbian finished with 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting, nine rebounds, four steals and 19 assists.

The 19 assists marked a career-high for “The Joker,” breaking his previous career-high of 18 assists. He had reached 18 assists twice in the past, most recently on Nov. 17, 2023, against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jokic reached the 18-assist mark for the first time on Dec. 28, 2020, when the Nuggets defeated James Harden and the Houston Rockets 124-111.

Jokic’s playmaking domination shouldn’t come as a surprise to many. The center is averaging 10.2 assists per game this season, which ranks second in the NBA. Even in his 10-year playing career, Jokic has impressive passing numbers, averaging 7.1 per game, the most by a center in NBA history. 

For comparison, former Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain ranks second with 4.4.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Jokic and the Nuggets (38-20) will continue their season on Thursday with a battle against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. They will finish off a four-game road trip with the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.