135 + 37 + 32 and 0 Wins: Could the Best Player Alive Miss the Playoffs?

Who’s the best player in the NBA today?

Despite a breakout MVP campaign from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the answer is still obvious. Nikola Jokic. No suspense. No debate. He’s a basketball savant wrapped in a 7-foot frame, doing things no one has ever done — not even the legends whose records he's rewriting.

But even gods can bleed. And right now, Jokic’s Denver Nuggets are bleeding badly.

The reigning champions just dropped four straight, and if you're wondering whether Jokic is to blame — let’s just say the numbers are so absurd, they feel made up.

In the last three games Jokic has played, here’s the raw line:

• 135 points

• 37 rebounds

• 32 assists

• 0 wins

Let that sink in. That’s 45.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game — with historic efficiency — and the Nuggets lost all three.

The man is averaging a 45-point triple-double, and his team can’t buy a win. This isn’t just a cold stretch. This is something darker. Something potentially disastrous.

Let’s go game by game.

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61-Point Triple-Double vs Timberwolves — And Still Lost

Double overtime. A playoff rematch. A gritty, emotional slugfest.

Nikola Jokic played 53 minutes, didn’t sit a single second in the second half or either overtime, and dropped one of the greatest statistical performances in league history:

• 61 points

• 10 rebounds

• 10 assists

• Shot 18-of-29 from the field

• 6-of-11 from three

• 19-of-24 from the line

It was only the third 60-point triple-double in NBA history.

He did everything. Controlled the game. Took over when others vanished. Willed the Nuggets back in it over and over again.

And yet — they lost.

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33-12-9 vs Warriors — Still Not Enough

The next game, Jokic continued the onslaught:

• 33 points

• 12 boards

• 9 assists

• Shot a ludicrous 13-of-17, including 4-of-7 from deep

He was nearly perfect, dominating the first quarter with 15 points.

But the Nuggets collapsed in the second quarter, got steamrolled the rest of the way, and never recovered. Jokic couldn't singlehandedly erase a 20-point hole, even if it felt like he tried.

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41-15-13 vs Pacers — A Record, Then A Mistake

Then came the Indiana game — maybe the most painful of them all.

Jokic came out scorching — 29 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists in the first half alone.

He finished with:

• 41 points

• 15 rebounds

• 13 assists

• 18-of-33 from the field

It was his seventh career 40-point triple-double, putting him in a group of just 15 players in history to do that multiple times.

Oh, and by the way — with this game, Jokic set the all-time single-season record for triple-doubles by a center with 32, passing Wilt Chamberlain.

But once again, the Nuggets blew a lead — this time by 13 points. And in the final moments, with a chance to tie or take the lead, it was Jokic’s turnover that sealed their fate.

Even gods have off moments.

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The Game He Didn't Play? A Disaster.

Jokic rested the game before this stretch against the lowly Spurs. That one didn't end well either.

No Jokic, no direction, no life.

The Nuggets trailed by 20 at times. They lost — badly. To a team they should beat with their B-squad.

It was a chilling reminder: when Jokic doesn’t play, Denver is simply not a playoff team.

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An MVP Season with No MVP Reward?

Let’s zoom out.

Jokic has now played 67 games this season, and his numbers are not just elite — they’re unprecedented:

• 30.0 points

• 12.8 rebounds

• 10.2 assists

• 1.8 steals

• Shooting splits: 57.7% FG / 41.5% 3PT / 80.3% FT

• True shooting: 66.3%

• PER: 32.23 (1st this season, 2nd all-time behind only... Jokic himself in 2021-22)

He is currently the only player in NBA history to rank top-3 in points, rebounds, and assists per game in a single season.

The eye test says dominance. The analytics say transcendence. The box scores say legendary.

But the standings?

They say danger.

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The Western Conference Logjam

As of now, the Nuggets are 47-32, sitting 4th in the West.

Right behind them? Four teams — the Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies — all at 46-32.

With three games left, the Nuggets could fall. Hard.

And here’s the kicker — their last three games are brutal:

• Sacramento Kings (on a three-game heater, with a surging Big Three)

• Memphis Grizzlies (tied 1–1 in the season series, playing for positioning)

• Houston Rockets (winners of 15 of their last 17)

It’s not a stretch to say: the Nuggets could finish outside the top six. If that happens, they’re headed to the Play-In.

Worst-case scenario? They fall to 9th or 10th and miss the playoffs altogether.

Unthinkable? Maybe. But not impossible.

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A One-Man Army

Jokic’s impact isn’t just measurable. It’s tangible. The on/off splits are insane:

• With Jokic on the floor: 125.3 offensive rating, +9.9 net rating

• With Jokic off the floor: 104.4 offensive rating, -8.7 net rating

Let’s put that in context:

• With Jokic: better than any team in the league.

• Without Jokic: worse than the Wizards and Hornets.

The Denver Nuggets are the best team in the NBA when Jokic plays — and arguably the worst when he doesn’t.

There is no Plan B. No Jamal Murray (still out). No second savior. No margin for error.

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The Harsh Paradox of Greatness

The irony? This might be the best season of Jokic’s career.

Better than any of his MVP years. Better than his title run.

He’s been healthy. Consistent. Ruthless. Efficient.

He’s dragging a broken, top-heavy roster into war every night, putting up numbers we may never see again, and he’s doing it without drama, without ego, without complaint.

He is everything the league could ask for in a superstar.

But in a league obsessed with winning, that may not be enough.

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The Nightmare Scenario

Imagine this:

Jokic finishes the season with a 30-point triple-double, top 3 in all major categories, PER through the roof — and the Nuggets miss the playoffs.

No MVP. No First Team All-NBA. No parade. No legacy-shifting moments.

Just a season that ends in silence.

That’s the nightmare scenario. And it’s closer than people think.

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Final Take:

We’re witnessing a season for the ages — and it might end in heartbreak.

Nikola Jokic is doing everything right. But the game, sometimes, is cruel.

If the Nuggets don’t figure things out — and fast — we may look back on this as the most tragic masterclass in NBA history.

Because sometimes, not even the best player alive can save you.