Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic passes Nuggets past 76ers

By Sean Keane | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 8:51 AM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers held Nikola Jokic to just eight points Tuesday night. Unfortunately for them, he finished with 14 assists and 10 in the first half.

The Denver Nuggets scored 72 points in the first half and took a 32-point lead into halftime thanks to some tough defense against a Sixers team missing four of its five top scorers. The only reason Jokic didn't put up bigger numbers was that he only played 25 minutes in the 124-96 victory.

Nikola Jokic could lead the NBA in assists

Jokic's generous effort against the Sixers kept him in first place in the race for the assist title, with 10.6 per game. There's only been one center to ever lead the league in assists per game — Wilt Chamberlain in the 1967-68 season.

This is Jokic's biggest assist season of his career, and he's also leading the NBA with 12.6 rebounds per game. Chamberlain is the only other player to lead the league in both categories, also in 1968. Jokic only tallied seven boards Tuesday, in part because the Nuggets simply didn't miss many shots when he was on the court.

Jokić gets his 10th assist...

Of the first half

It's the 5th time this season Jokić has had 10+ AST in a half (Most in NBA) pic.twitter.com/ykYd2GRaJN
— NBA (@NBA) March 18, 2026

Jokic only took seven shots in the game, though he did have five turnovers. On a night where his team shot 50 percent and made 48 percent of its three-pointers, it simply didn't need the three-time MVP to put up points.

Joel Embiid missed a matchup with Nikola Jokic again

Injured Sixers center Joel Embiid and Jokic have been rivals in the MVP race in multiple seasons, but haven't met much on the court. Nuggets-Sixers games have been a fixture on the national TV schedule for years, but the two big men have only faced each other three times in the last six seasons.

That was the case in Tuesday's nationally televised game, with what NBC likely hoped could be a scoring duel between Jokic and Embiid. Instead, it was a passing exhibition from the Joker and another missed game with injury for Embiid.

AG FOR THREEE pic.twitter.com/g5LVrppEDd
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 18, 2026

Viewers had to settle for watching the best-passing big man of all time instead. Meanwhile, the 76ers may have to settle for the play-in tournament if they can't get healthy.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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