The Nuggets are going to need all hands on deck from here on out.
The Denver Nuggets needed a big performance on Tuesday night, and Nikola Jokic gave them one in every sense of the word.
The three-time MVP posted 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists while hitting the go-ahead jumper with 11.5 seconds left to push Denver past the Phoenix Suns, 125-123.
Jokic's reaction afterward was about as understated as you would expect from a guy who treats triple-doubles like routine work.
Rather than celebrating one of the most complete performances of the entire NBA season, he gave credit to his teammates and shrugged it off.
A Calm Mindset
"It's just that kind of game," Jokic said postgame. "We made a lot of shots in the first half, and guys were in their spots where they're supposed to, they were cutting, and I was just finding them. You know, it just happens."
It was only the seventh time in league history that a player has finished with at least 23 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists, and Jokic now owns three of those games by himself while no other player has more than one.
He locked up his 29th triple-double of the season just seconds into the third quarter, when his 10th assist set up an Aaron Gordon dunk.
The game itself was far from easy.
Phoenix cut a 15-point deficit down to nothing in the final minutes, with Devin Booker tying things at 123 with a tough jumper in the lane.
But Jokic answered with a 12-footer to put Denver ahead, and Booker's deep three at the buzzer hit the rim and bounced away.
A Team Effort With a Playoff Feel
Beyond Jokic's heroics, it was a balanced night for Denver.
Jamal Murray added 21 points and six assists with 11 of those points coming in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line, and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 18 off the bench.
Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson both contributed in double figures as well, giving the Nuggets the kind of depth scoring they will need once the playoffs arrive.
The win moved Denver to 45-28 on the season and extended their winning streak to three games, pulling them a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Phoenix dropped to 40-33 and has now lost six of its last seven.
Eyes on the Finish Line
When asked about the final stretch of the regular season, Jokic kept his answer direct.
"Try to stay healthy and try to play our brand of basketball, and try to do the little things with more detail and a little bit better," he said. "So stay healthy and try to do your part a little bit better."
The Nuggets have nine games left, and the schedule does them some favors with seven of those coming at Ball Arena.
Denver hosts Dallas on Wednesday in the back end of a back-to-back before welcoming Utah and Golden State later in the week.
After that, matchups against San Antonio, Portland and Memphis should all be winnable, though a season finale against Oklahoma City looms as a measuring stick.
Jokic is averaging 27.9 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.7 assists on the season, leading the league in both rebounds and assists per game while putting himself firmly in the MVP conversation once again.
If Denver can stay healthy and keep playing with the kind of balance they showed on Tuesday, the Nuggets could be a tough out for anyone come April.