Nikola Jokic is a weird basketball player. Most superstars see their efficiency dip and their scoring become a grind once the playoffs start and defenses tighten up. The air gets thinner, the scouting reports get thicker, and the refs swallow their whistles. But honestly? The Joker just gets better.
If you look at Nikola Jokic playoff stats, the first thing that hits you is how much he ramps up his scoring. In the regular season, he’s famously passive, often looking like he’d rather pass to a cutting teammate than take an easy layup. Once the postseason arrives, that version of Jokic disappears. He becomes a ruthless offensive engine that forces the defense to pick their poison every single trip down the floor.
The Raw Averages Are Kind of Ridiculous
Most people know he's a triple-double threat, but the scoring jump is the real story. Over nearly 100 playoff games—94 starts to be exact—Jokic has averaged about 27.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. Think about that for a second. His career playoff scoring average is actually higher than his regular-season average.
He joins a very short list of players, like Luka Doncic and Hakeem Olajuwon, who actually become more prolific scorers when the stakes are highest. It’s not just volume, either. In his 2023 championship run, he put up a staggering 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. He was basically a walking 30-point triple-double for two straight months.
Last year, in the 2025 playoffs, he kept the foot on the gas even when the Denver Nuggets faced elimination. He averaged 26.2 points and nearly 13 rebounds over 14 games. While the Nuggets fell short of a repeat, Jokic was rarely the reason they lost. He was logging over 40 minutes a night, which is insane for a guy his size.
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Shooting Splits That Don’t Make Sense for a Center
Big men usually live in the paint. Jokic lives everywhere. His shooting splits in the playoffs are often better than what he manages in the regular season. For example, while he’s a career 35% shooter from deep in the regular season, he’s hovered around 38% to 41% in multiple playoff runs.
- He shot 44.4% from three during the 2023 title run.
- He maintains a true shooting percentage (TS%) that usually stays well above 60%, even while taking more difficult shots.
- His free throw shooting is reliable, usually sitting around 82% when it matters most.
Why the Triple-Double Count Matters
We talk about triple-doubles a lot, but for Jokic, it's not about stat-padding. It’s about control. As of early 2026, Nikola Jokic has 21 playoff triple-doubles. That puts him third all-time, trailing only Magic Johnson and LeBron James.
The gap between him and the rest of the pack is massive. Russell Westbrook, known as the king of the regular-season triple-double, only has 12 in the playoffs. Jokic creates these numbers because he's the primary playmaker. When he gets 10+ assists, Denver is almost impossible to beat because it means the defense has failed to stop his passing lanes.
A Breakdown of Recent Postseason Performance
In the 2025 Western Conference playoffs, we saw two different versions of the Joker. Against the Clippers, he was the ultimate facilitator, averaging over 10 assists per game and keeping the offense humming. But against OKC, he had to carry the scoring load, bumping his average up to 28.4 points per game.
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He adapted. That’s what makes his Nikola Jokic playoff stats so impressive. He doesn't just play one way; he plays whatever way the defense allows. If you single-cover him, he drops 40. If you double-team him, he finds Aaron Gordon for a dunk.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Defense
There’s this narrative that Jokic is a liability on defense in the playoffs. "Just put him in a pick-and-roll," they say. Well, the numbers tell a different story. While he isn't a rim protector like Rudy Gobert, his hands are incredibly active. He averages nearly 2 steals per game in the postseason.
His "defensive" stats aren't about blocks. They’re about positioning and IQ. He defended the most shots at the rim in the 2025 playoffs and held opponents to roughly 59% shooting in that area. That’s essentially the same as specialized defenders like Chet Holmgren. He’s not a "cone" out there; he’s a giant with an elite brain who understands angles better than anyone else.
The Advanced Metrics Are Terrifying
If you're into the nerdy stuff, Jokic is basically the GOAT of playoff advanced stats. His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in the postseason is often the highest in the league.
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- BPM (Box Plus-Minus): He consistently leads the playoffs in this category, often posting numbers that rival peak Michael Jordan or LeBron James.
- Win Shares per 48: During the 2023 run, he posted a .308 WS/48. To put that in perspective, anything over .200 is considered elite. .308 is "breaking the game" territory.
- On/Off Splits: When Jokic sits, the Nuggets usually fall apart. In 2025, his on-off differential was a staggering -19.2, meaning the team was nearly 20 points worse per 100 possessions when he wasn't on the floor.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you are looking at these stats to understand the future of the NBA or just to win a debate with your friends, here are the key takeaways you should keep in mind.
First, stop comparing him to other centers. He’s a point guard in a 280-pound body. His assist-to-turnover ratio in the playoffs is better than many elite guards.
Second, watch the fourth quarter. Statistics show his efficiency actually climbs in the final minutes of close games. While most players tire out, his lack of reliance on "explosive athleticism" means he doesn't lose his touch when he's winded.
Lastly, keep an eye on his three-point volume. When Jokic takes more than five threes in a playoff game, it usually means the defense is dropping deep into the paint. His ability to hit those shots is the "cheat code" that makes the Denver offense unguardable.
To track his progress toward the all-time triple-double record, keep a close watch on the 2026 playoff bracket. He only needs nine more to pass LeBron James for second place all-time. Given his current pace of roughly one triple-double every three or four playoff games, he could realistically hit that mark by the end of next season. High-level analysis of his game logs suggests that his "passive" games early in a series are usually just him scouting the defense before he goes for the kill in Games 4 through 7.