The final game of five NBA games on Christmas Day was a rousing way to end a busy basketball holiday.
The Denver Nuggets held on for a Victory in overtime 142-138 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a triple-double from Nikola Jokić with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists, as well as an eventful evening from Anthony Edwards.
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We’ll start with Edwards, who finished the game with 44 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 game-tying shot with 1.1 seconds left in regulation and 1 ejection.
Edwards’ fifth 40-point game of the season was highlighted by his 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The game only required one extra period due to the Timberwolves goaltender’s game-winning shot late in regulation to erase Minnesota’s 15-point lead.
Edwards didn’t finish the overtime, however, as he committed his second technical foul with 20.5 seconds remaining.
On the other hand, Jokić’s night saw him record the 179th triple-double of his career in the victory. The three-time MVP scored 18 points in the first quarter and completed his triple-double midway through the third quarter. He finished by scoring 18 of Denver’s 27 points in overtime for the first 55/15/15 game in NBA history.
Jokić’s 56 points place him third all-time on the NBA’s Christmas Day scoring list behind Bernard King (60) and Wilt Chamberlain (59). He also seems to enjoy playing against the Timberwolves after posting triple-doubles in each of his last four games against Minnesota, which includes his career high of 61 points last April.
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“Brother, it’s unbelievable. We watch history night after night,” Nuggets guard Peyton Watson said afterward.
This victory allowed the Nuggets to become 22-8 as they sit second in the Northwest Division2 1/2 games ahead of the Timberwolves. Denver remains in third place in the Western Conference, one game behind the San Antonio Spurs and 3 1/2 games behind the conference leader, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
