Nikola Jokić tells Nuggets fans who booed ‘they’re not welcome anymore’ on the night he passes Russell Westbrook’s triple-double total

Nikola Jokić was asked about the bench after Saturday’s comeback and used the question to answer the crowd instead. The Denver Nuggets trailed the New Orleans Pelicans by 23 points in the third quarter of their home opener at Ball Arena and heard boos for long stretches. They won 141-135 in overtime, and Jokić had a message for the people who booed.

“I’m actually so glad that you mentioned that, because we get booed the first home game, and I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore,” Jokić said. “Because if you guys follow us, you know that we never quit, and we came back from much worse or similar situations. So if they ask me, they’re not welcome anymore.”

He meant it. Asked later whether a home crowd should back its team even on a bad night, he gave a one-word answer and then added to it: “Yes. If they are Nuggets, they should support us.”

Nikola Jokić has a message for the fans who booed.

“If you ask me, they are not welcome anymore.” pic.twitter.com/xG3DZBW0u8

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) October 25, 2026

Jokić’s answer about the boos, posted by DNVR Nuggets on X.

How the night turned

New Orleans shot almost 66% in the first half, led 73-57 at the break and still held a 108-89 lead going into the fourth quarter. Denver won the fourth 37-18 and took overtime 15-9. Jokić explained the slow start as a mood the team could not shake right away.

“Nothing goes your way, and then they’re making shots, you’re not making shots, so it was just bad energy,” he said. “It needs a couple of minutes to go by, so you can get out of that bad, I don’t know how to say, energy, whatever it is, and then to get on the right way.”

Jokić finished with 35 points on 12-of-23 shooting, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks and two steals in 44 minutes, and he went 8-of-8 at the line. Eight of his points came in overtime.

Passing Westbrook, and no text yet

It was the 222nd triple-double of his career counting the playoffs, one more than his former teammate Russell Westbrook, who retired this summer with 221: 209 in the regular season and 12 in the postseason. Jokić now has 199 in the regular season and 23 in the playoffs, so Westbrook still owns the regular-season record by 10.

Jokić called the milestone nice and moved on. Asked if he would text Westbrook, he said: “No, no, no. If I break his official record, then I’m going to text him.”

‘He said we can win this’

Jamal Murray scored 42 in 43 minutes, made 8 of 16 threes and 10 of 13 free throws and did not commit a turnover. His two free throws with 16.8 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 126. Jokić said Murray was the one talking in the huddles when Denver was down.

“Even when we were down 16, he said, we can win this,” Jokić said. “He had an amazing night, of course. He had eight threes, but he doesn’t need a lot to get going.”

Rookie Trevon Brazile, in his second NBA game, added 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench, including a corner three with 1:25 left in overtime that put Denver up 133-129. Jokić said the forward is still learning the system but already plays on feel. Aaron Gordon sounded like a player who enjoyed the result and not the route. “We always have a chance to win,” he said, “but we need to stop playing like that at some point.”

Got the job done.

Mal: 42 PTS / 8 3PM / 6 AST / 1 STL
Jok: 35 PTS / 15 REB / 10 AST / 2 STL / 3 BLK
TB: 17 PTS / 3 3PM / 9 REB / 2 BLK
CB: 15 PTS / 8 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL
DeMar: 12 PTS / 3 REB / 3 AST pic.twitter.com/ghWDkFRA4Z

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 25, 2026

Highlights from Murray, Jokić and Brazile, posted by the Nuggets on X.

Denver is 1-1. The crowd gets its next look on Monday, when the Golden State Warriors visit Ball Arena at 10 p.m. ET, which is 5 a.m. Tuesday in Cairo. The Nuggets then play at New Orleans again on Wednesday.