DENVER — Deandre Ayton scrutinized the box score and couldn't believe his eyes as he read Nikola Jokic's stat line: 32 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists.
"That's insane. That's the MVP," Ayton said after the Phoenix Suns overcame the Joker's historic triple-double to thump Denver 116-102 Friday night, putting the Nuggets on the brink of elimination.
Following a raucous pregame ceremony celebrating his MVP award, Jokic joined Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with 30 points, 20 boards and 10 assists in an NBA playoff game. Jokic, though, was apologetic afterward, telling his teammates this loss was on him because of his 13-for-29 shooting performance.