As a Serbian, Nikola Jokic doesn’t celebrate Christmas on December 25th, but rather on Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. This day in particular doesn’t necessarily mean anything to him.
And yet, he often plays like he knows it means something to everyone else. A true concerned superstar, just wanting the crowd to go home happy.
Jokic put together perhaps his greatest statistical game of his NBA career last night with 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists, helping captain the Denver Nuggets to an overtime victory over the vaunted Minnesota Timberwolves. This is the first game with such numbers in NBA history, and the reason it happened was because the Nuggets needed everything from Jokic in order to win.
From outside shooting as a three-point shooter, to mid-range jumpers, to floaters and drives in the paint, to a steady dose of free throws in overtime, Jokic had it all working. He was highly efficient, made every player he had to make, and was quite simply spectacular all night long.
Denver came out aggressive, building an early advantage behind balanced scoring and efficient offense. By halftime and into the third quarter, the Nuggets’ precision had built a comfortable lead as Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to outplay Minnesota’s defenders. Murray’s three-point shooting was essential for the Nuggets in taking at least some of the playmaking and creation pressure off of Jokic. Murray finished the game with 35 points and 10 assists of his own, though he did take an impressive 32 shots to get there.
The Nuggets controlled much of the game. They probably should’ve won by double-digits in regulation. Unfortunately for Denver, it wasn’t that easy.
Despite leading by as many as 15 points late in the fourth, the Nuggets saw that cushion evaporate as Anthony Edwards ignited a furious Timberwolves comeback. Minnesota closed regulation on a 24-9 run, capped by Edwards’ twisting three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left, tying the game and forcing overtime. The Nuggets probably should’ve fouled Edwards before he took the shot, but it was simply a spectacular play by the star guard.
In overtime, the Timberwolves continued applying the pressure and went up by nine points in just two minutes of action. The Nuggets called a quick timeout and set up a Jokic three-pointer. Then, Tim Hardaway Jr. hit a transition three and the game was back to one possession. Denver worked itself into a lead after a couple controversial fouls and challenges. From then on, the T’Wolves continuously sent Jokic to the free throw line which helped him eclipse 50 and then 55 points individually.
Jokic iced the game from there, preventing another comeback by Minnesota despite a strong effort. The Nuggets superstar didn’t just post historic numbers either. He delivered a moment, a holiday classic performance that will be replayed and remembered. With his calm under pressure, all-around brilliance, and clutch execution, he lifted the Nuggets in a game that had every element of a playoff battle wrapped into a Christmas spectacle.
Though Anthony Edwards dealt with an injury throughout the game, the Timberwolves are decidedly healthy right now. They had almost every element of their team at the disposal to try and stop Jokic and Murray, who were missing all three of Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, and Aaron Gordon to help remove some pressure.
That marks three wins against the T’Wolves this year, meaning the Nuggets have clinched the season series and the head-to-head tiebreaker over a divisional rival. That’s a big deal, especially if the Nuggets experience any slide on this upcoming seven-game road trip against the Eastern Conference.
At 22-8, the Nuggets have done the majority of their work already. They’re still on pace for 60 wins, though life is about to get more challenging on the road.
Fortunately, Jokic was able to give Nuggets fans some Christmas cheer. Even if he has to wait another couple weeks to celebrate himself.