It took less than five minutes for Nikola Jokic to break his pledge. In a recent interview, the Nuggets star promised he won’t lose energy on things out of his control. Referee Dannica Baroody would disagree. The Joker found his patience tested by one of her calls in the first quarter and immediately lost his cool.

Baroody called a rather unnecessary foul on Christian Braun. He barely touched Devin Booker while the Suns star threw a pass. That really got to Nikola Jokic, who appeared to ask for the same calls on the other side. His outburst, though, was what landed the three-time MVP in trouble.

Jokic almost came charging from the paint towards Baroody. He stopped himself at a safe distance, but adamantly checked the official for making a soft call. Dannica Baroody was left with no choice after that. She signalled for a technical foul on Nikola Jokic. Booker converted the subsequent free-throw.

It did go against the Joker trying to stay unengaged with the officials. At the same time, that lapse of emotions didn’t prevent Nikola Jokic from winning the game for the Denver Nuggets. In a contest that came down to crunch time, Jokic knocked down the go-ahead jumper with under 12 seconds remaining.

The Nuggets had to bounce back from an 11-point first-quarter deficit to clinch victory. They are now just 1.5 games behind the Lakers for the third seed. Nikola Jokic delivered another triple-double effort to help the Nuggets cross the finish line against the Phoenix Suns.

Nikola Jokic keeps delivering on his other promises

Nikola Jokic may still be learning to control his emotions during the course of a game. However, that wasn’t the only promise he made. Among the most influential vows the Joker made was to always be available. He missed 16 straight games after suffering from a hyperextended knee.

Since then, the three-time MVP has yet to miss a single game. “I take care of my body, and I think even if I have little injuries, I play through it,” he said during the interview. Moreover, there was also the promise to grow as a leader. That’s something the Joker rarely disappoints in doing.

Tonight, it was another expert performance, which saw the Joker control the tempo of the game. Alongside 22 points, he had 17 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists. The Nuggets have now gone 8-5 over their last 13 games. Nikola Jokic has managed to have Denver outscore their opponents in his minutes in three of those losses.

It’s clear that as the leader, the Nuggets’ offense hits peak efficiency with Jokic. And that influence continues to grow. This was the Joker’s 29 triple-double of the season. The Nuggets are 19-10 in games in which the Joker records a triple-double.

The emotional part of his promise could see improvements during the postseason. That’s where the margin for error reduces drastically, and Jokic understands his responsibility to the team. Because judging by his track record, Nikola Jokic delivers on his promises.