CLEVELAND — There are times when Nikola Jokic does things on the court that seem to defy reason, almost magical.
On Thursday he surpassed a player who had the same remarkable ability.
Denver’s superstar center passed Hall of Famer Magic Johnson for third place on the career triple-double list by recording his 139th in a 126-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The three-time MVP finished with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists. But he missed some easy shots and the Nuggets couldn’t defend the Cavs, who made a season-high 22 3-pointers and improved to 20-3.
Jokic trails only teammate Russell Westbrook (200) and Oscar Robertson (181) on the career triple-double list.
“It’s something you’re probably going to consider after you finish your career,” said Jokic, who has nine triple-doubles this season. “Right now, you don’t even think about it. But it’s a great thing. It’s really nice.”
Jokic outscored Johnson in the fourth quarter, recording his 10th assist on a pass to Michael Porter Jr., who hit a 3-pointer from the wing with 3:37 left.
When the game ended, the affable 7-footer hugged every Cavs on the court and some of Cleveland’s coaches. Once he got to the locker room, Jokic received a game ball for passing to Johnson.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is at a loss for words to describe his famous teammate.
“You see it with his work ethic,” said Murray, who scored 19 points. “His touches continue to surprise me. He does everything on the court with a great attitude and he wants to win. What else?”
It was a difficult night for the Nuggets, who suffered numerous defensive failures. Coach Michael Malone was happy to see Jokic’s mark, but quickly refocused on a team searching for its identity.
“We just got our butts kicked,” Malone said. “Obviously, I love Nikola and I feel very lucky to coach a player with his talent and he will be remembered as one of the best to ever do it. I’m happy to hear that, I really am. But I don’t know.” . I’m much more concerned about our team right now and where we are.
“It’s not so much that we lost tonight. I knew coming here would be a tough task. I just don’t like how we lost and there’s a big difference.”
