Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s 56-point Christmas masterpiece sets multiple records

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic put together a Christmas performance for the ages, leading Denver to a 142-138 overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic finished with 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists, producing the first 55-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist game ever recorded in the league.

The 56-point outburst was the third-highest scoring performance in NBA Christmas Day history, behind only Bernard King’s 60 points in 1984 and Wilt Chamberlain’s 59 in 1961. Jokic also became just the fifth player to score at least 50 points on Christmas, joining King, Chamberlain, Rick Barry’s 50, and Luka Doncic’s 50.

Jokic’s night included historic efficiency and volume. He shot 15-of-21 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range while adding 10-for-11 shooting at the free-throw line in overtime alone. Eighteen of his 56 points came in the extra period, breaking Stephen Curry’s NBA record of 17 overtime points set in 2016. The 27-23 overtime period featured a combined 50 points, the most ever scored in an NBA overtime session.

Jokic posted a 59.8 rating, the seventh-best single-game mark in NBA history, according to Game Score. The performance was also his 15th triple-double of the season and the 179th of his regular-season career, moving him within two of Oscar Robertson for second place on the NBA’s all-time list. Including the postseason, Jokic now has 200 career triple-doubles.

This was Jokic’s second Christmas Day triple-double. He previously recorded 41 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in 2022, making him one of only three players with multiple Christmas triple-doubles, alongside Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

The Nuggets needed every bit of Jokic’s production. Denver blew a 15-point lead in the final five and a half minutes of regulation and trailed by as many as nine points in overtime. Anthony Edwards forced overtime with a buzzer-beating corner three and finished with 44 points for Minnesota, though he was ejected in the extra period after picking up two technical fouls. Julius Randle added 32 points and seven rebounds and Jaden McDaniels scored 21 points.

Jamal Murray provided important support for the Nuggets, contributing 35 points and 10 assists while going 9-of-18 from long range. Tim Hardaway Jr., starting due to injuries, added 19 points. Denver was shorthanded, missing Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun, with Johnson dealing with a knee hyperextension from earlier in the week.

The win improved the Nuggets’ record to 3-0 against the Timberwolves this season and kept Denver in third place in the Western Conference with a 22-8 record. The Nuggets return to action next against the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

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