Nikola Jokic's 'fake' assists are driving NBA fans crazy
Not everyone is in thrall to the Nuggets superstar.
Nikola Jokic's 'fake' assists are driving NBA fans crazy originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The stats will tell you that Nikola Jokic recorded one of the most outrageous stat lines in NBA history on Wednesday night.
NBA fans will tell you that his numbers are being artificially inflated. Officially, Jokic nearly had a 20-20-20 triple-double for the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The three-time MVP scored 23 points, hauled in 21 rebounds and dished out 19 assists against only one turnover as the Nuggets defeated the Dallas Mavericks , 142-135.
MORE: Cooper Flagg is reminding Mavs fans of Luka Doncic in one encouraging way However, fans are taking exception with a compilation of those assists from Denver. They show Jokic passing the ball to a teammate -- mostly Jamal Murray -- who then takes three dribbles into a made shot. Jokic is credited with an assist by the home scoring.
One quoted post that received 238,000 impressions on X recalled an assist Jokic picked up in a home game against the Charlotte Hornets , in which he rebounds the ball and passes to Will Barton. Barton then takes six dribbles up the length of the floor before laying the ball in. This counted as an assist for Jokic btw https://t.