5 months ago
Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokic (R) recorded 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists successful a triumph complete nan Minnesota Timberwolves connected Thursday successful Denver. Photo by Justin Edmonds/EPA-EFE
Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Nicola Jokic poured successful an NBA grounds 18 of his 56 points successful overtime to lead nan Denver Nuggets to a thrilling triumph complete nan Minnesota Timberwolves.
The three-time MVP besides totaled 16 rebounds and 15 assists successful nan 142-138 triumph Thursday successful Denver. He scored 33 points aft halftime, including his overtime surge, which collapsed Stephen Curry's erstwhile grounds (17) for nan astir overtime points successful NBA history.
"I support saying, 'just don't get tired of this,'" Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters. "He's nan champion subordinate successful nan world, bottommost line.
"What he does nightly is important for nan crippled of basketball, bully for sports and bully for his caput coach."
Jokic made 15 of 21 changeable attempts, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. He sank 22 of 23 free propulsion attempts en way to his 179th profession triple-double. With 2 more, he tin necktie Oscar Robinson for nan second-most successful NBA history. Jokic trails all-time leader Russell Westbrook by 28 connected nan profession triple-double list.
The Timberwolves outshot nan Nuggets 49% to 46.5%. The Nuggets led by arsenic galore arsenic 16 points, mislaid a 15-point separator successful nan 4th fourth and rallied from a 9 constituent spread successful overtime to gain their eighth triumph complete their past 10 games. They held a 44.2% to 26.7% separator successful 3-point efficiency.
"We conscionable tried to power what we could power successful those minutes," Jokic said. "Just [keep] composure and judge successful your squad and yourself."
The Nuggets outscored nan Timberwolves 39-29 successful nan first quarter, which featured 4 lead changes. Jokic supplied 18 points complete nan first 12 minutes. Timberwolves defender Anthony Edwards scored 14 of his 44 points successful nan opening frame.
The Timberwolves rallied pinch a 17-0 tally to bargain backmost nan lead successful nan 2nd quarter, but nan Nuggets bounced backmost and held a 57-55 halftime edge. They started nan 2nd half pinch a 12-4 surge to summation their lead to double digits. The Nuggets led by 16 midway done nan 3rd 4th and carried a 92-78 separator into nan fourth.
Nuggets defender Jamal Murray scored 11 of his 35 points successful nan 3rd quarter. He made 3 of his 9 3-pointers successful nan quarter.
The Nuggets led 106-91 pinch astir six minutes remaining, but nan Timberwolves answered pinch a 16-2 surge. Edwards, who scored 13 successful nan quarter, deed a 3-pointer successful nan last seconds of regularisation to necktie nan crippled astatine 115-115 and unit overtime. Timberwolves guardant Jaden McDaniels chipped successful a twelve during nan 4th fourth rally.
Edwards and nan Timberwolves parlayed that momentum into a 9-0 tally to commencement overtime. But Jokic's Nuggets fought backmost pinch an 21-6 surge and ne'er trailed again.
Edwards made 14 of 25 shots en way to his 44 points, but was ejected for arguing pinch officials pinch 21 seconds remaining. The Timberwolves trailed conscionable 133-130 astatine nan time.
Jokic is averaging a career-high 29.8 points and NBA-best 12.1 rebounds and 11.0 assists per crippled this season. He made 60.9% of his changeable attempts done 30 starts, nan second-best clip of his career. Jokic besides is shooting a career-best 44% from 3-point range.
The Nuggets (22-8) will return connected nan Orlando Magic (17-13) astatine 7 p.m. EST Saturday successful Orlando, Fla. The Timberwolves (20-11) will big nan Brooklyn Nets (9-19) astatine 8 p.m. Saturday successful Minneapolis.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (C) celebrates pinch teammates aft nan Dodgers conclusion nan Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 successful 11 innings successful Game 7 to triumph nan World Series successful Toronto connected November 1, 2025. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
