NBA star Kevin Durant got honest about Nikola Jokic’s performance after the Nuggets beat the Suns
Dec 1, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Denver Nuggets took down the Phoenix Suns in an overtime thriller on Friday night, but the highlight of the night was undoubtedly Nikola Jokic’s performance.
Jokic dropped 31 points, 21 rebounds, 22 assists, and 3 steals in Friday’s win, shooting 13-22 from the field and 3-7 from beyond the arc. Jokic became the first player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 20+ assists in a game, putting together an unbelievable stat line that the league has never seen.
Jokic undoubtedly put together one of the best individual performances in a game in league history, sending much of the league into shock for something they had never seen before. Despite being on the opposing side of it, Suns superstar Kevin Durant reacted to Jokic’s insane game.
“The whole offense is centered around him making a play, I’m actually kind of surprised he hasn’t done this before,” Durant said. “All-time great, man. All-time great… Crazy thing is that it didn’t even seem like he had those numbers. I looked up at the end of overtime and was like ‘Oh s**t. 30, 20, 20. That’s crazy.’ …He gets the ball every play, so the numbers are gonna pile up after a while.”
Kevin Durant on Nikola Jokic’s 30-20-20 game:
“The whole offense is centered around him making a play. I’m actually kind of surprised he hasn’t done this before.”
“All-time great, man. All-time great”
“He gets the ball every play, so the numbers are gonna pile up…” pic.twitter.com/vPy5UQvkt5
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) March 8, 2025
Durant’s reaction is a bit of a mixed response to Jokic’s game. While he says it was crazy and calls Jokic an all-time great, he also seems to downplay the absurd stat line because the Nuggets offense runs around the superstar center. Regardless, the three-time NBA MVP put on a show on Friday night in front of his home crowd and made history.