Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (right) recorded 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in Denver. Photo by Justin Edmonds/EPA-EFE
Dec. 26 (UPI) — Nicola Jokic scored an NBA record with 18 of his 56 points in overtime to lead the standings. Denver Nuggets to a thrilling victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The three-time MVP also had 16 rebounds and 15 assists in Thursday’s 142-138 triumph in Denver. He scored 33 points after halftime, including his overtime spurt, which broke Stéphane CurryThe previous record (17) for the most points in overtime in NBA history.
“I keep saying ‘don’t get tired of this,'” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters. “At the end of the day, he’s the best player in the world.
“What he does every night is important for the game of basketball, good for the sport and good for his head coach.”
Jokic made 15 of 21 shot attempts, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. He made 22 of 23 free throw attempts en route to his 179th career triple-double. With two more, he can tie Oscar Robinson for second in NBA history. Jokic follows all-time leader Russell Westbrook by 28 on the career triple-double list.
The Timberwolves outshot the Nuggets 49% to 46.5%. The Nuggets led by 16 points, blew a 15-point advantage in the fourth quarter and rallied from a nine-point deficit in overtime to earn their eighth victory in their last 10 games. They held a 44.2% to 26.7% advantage in 3-point efficiency.
“We just tried to control what we could control in those minutes,” Jokic said. “Just keep your cool and believe in your team and yourself.”
The Nuggets outscored the Timberwolves 39-29 in the first quarter, which featured four lead changes. Jokic provided 18 points in the first 12 minutes. Timberwolves Guard Anthony Edwards scored 14 of his 44 points in the first period.
The Timberwolves rallied with a 17-0 run to regain the lead in the second quarter, but the Nuggets bounced back and held a 57-55 advantage at halftime. They started the second half with a 12-4 lead to extend their lead to double digits. The Nuggets led by 16 midway through the third quarter and led 92-78 in the fourth.
Keep nuggets Jamal Murray scored 11 of his 35 points in the third quarter. He made three of his nine 3-pointers in the quarter.
The Nuggets led 106-91 with about six minutes remaining, but the Timberwolves responded with a 16-2 lead. Edwards, who scored 13 points in the quarter, made a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to tie the game at 115-115 and force overtime. Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels scored a dozen during the fourth-quarter rally.
Edwards and the Timberwolves rode that momentum into a 9-0 run to start overtime. But Jokic’s Nuggets fought back with a 21-6 surge and never trailed again.
Edwards made 14 of 25 shots en route to his 44 points, but was ejected for arguing with officials with 21 seconds remaining. The Timberwolves were only down 133-130 at the time.
Jokic is averaging a career-high 29.8 points, along with 12.1 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game, best in the NBA this season. He made 60.9 percent of his shot attempts in 30 starts, the second-best clip of his career. Jokic is also shooting a career-best 44% from 3-point range.
The Nuggets (22-8) will face the Orlando Magic (17-13) at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday in Orlando, Florida. The Timberwolves (20-11) will host the Brooklyn Nets (9-19) at 8 p.m. Saturday in Minneapolis.
