The NBA champion Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic started their title defense with a 119-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. The Nuggets eliminated the Lakers from playoff contention in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Jokic dominated the game and led Denver to a victory with 29 points, 11 assists, and 13 rebounds.

With his second career triple-double in a season-opening, Jokic tied Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, and Russell Westbrook for second all-time in NBA history, according to Sportsnet Stats. Oscar Robertson has the NBA record with four such games.

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With the victory, Jokic improved his standing on the all-time list for triple-doubles.

On Tuesday, Nikola Jokic appeared to be the same player he was at the conclusion of the 2023 playoffs. Jokic turned in one of the greatest individual performances in NBA history during that postseason run, winning Finals MVP and helping Denver win its first championship. The Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals by sweeping the Lakers in four games after cruising through the postseason without dropping a single game.

On Tuesday night, any fears of a “championship hangover” were swiftly put to rest. After Jokic and the Nuggets received their title rings and raised their banner before the game, they jumped out to an early double-digit lead.

Although the Lakers made things interesting at the start of the fourth quarter, Jokic’s consistent play down the stretch propelled the Nuggets to victory.