The Utah Jazz lost to the Sacramento Kings, 118-101, on Wednesday night, despite a monster performance by center Walker Kessler.
The third-year pro erupted for a season-best 25 points and game-high 14 rebounds, while shooting 10-for-10 from the field. Kessler also added five assists (which tied his career high), two steals and didn’t commit a turnover over 34 minutes of action.
His stat line ended up being a historic one.
“He joins Nikola Jokic as the only players to record a 25p/10r game with zero turnovers and zero missed FG since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78,” Statitudes’ Justin Kubatko posted on Bluesky.
Kessler Has Taken a Massive Step Forward This Season
Kessler’s latest effort continues what has been a monster season for the 23-year-old.
The 2022 first-round pick is averaging career highs in points (11.5), rebounds (12.1), assists (1.6) and minutes per game (30.5) across 45 contests while averaging 2.3 blocks per tilt and shooting a league-best 72.9% from the field. Kessler’s field goal percentage would be the highest in the NBA since New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson finished with a .742 mark during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
The former first team All-Rookie also ranks in the top five this season in rebounds per game (fifth), offensive rebounds (third) with 205, blocks (third) with 105 and blocks per game (second) among other categories.
Jokic Achieved The Feat in 2018, Almost Again in 2023
When attempting to find individual games as stunning as Kessler’s on Wednesday, it’s no surprise to see that the only other player to rack up similar numbers is three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets center became the first player to post at least 25 points and 10 rebounds with no turnovers and a perfect field goal percentage on Oct. 20, 2018, in a 119-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns. That was the second game of Jokic’s fourth NBA season, which ended up being his first All-Star campaign.
He finished that contest by leading all players in points (35), rebounds (11), assists (11) and steals (four), while going 11-for-11 from the field and 10-for-11 on free throws.
Jokic came close to another history-maker five years later, during a 127-126 loss vs. the Kings on Dec. 28, 2023. The “Joker” went for 26 points and 14 rebounds that night while shooting 11-for-11 from the field but committed three turnovers.
Having only just turned 30, Jokic is yet again a frontrunner for the regular season MVP award. For one night though, he found himself being joined by Kessler.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jazz Star Makes NBA History, Matches Nikola Jokic’s Stunning Accomplishment appeared first on Heavy Sports.