Nikola Jokic had 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists as the host Denver Nuggets rallied from nine points down in overtime to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 142-138 on Thursday night.
The 30-year-old center produced the first NBA game ever with at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists. Jokic also recorded the third-highest scoring ever on Christmas Day, behind Bernard King’s 60 points in 1984 and Wilt Chamberlain’s 59 in 1961.
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“It was a crazy game, and it’s a little late, so it’s nice to end with a win,” Jokic said after the game on ABC.
For Jokic it was the fifteenth triple double of the season. He now has 179 for his career during the regular season and 21 in the postseason.
Jamal Murray finished with 35 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who had lost two of their previous three games.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards scored 24 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter and overtime before picking up his second technical foul with 21 seconds left in the extra session.
Julius Randle scored 32 points, Jaden McDaniels added 21 points and Rudy Gobert had 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which had won three straight.
Knicks 126, Cavaliers 124
Jalen Brunson hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:05 left for host New York, who overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Cleveland.
Brunson scored 13 of his 34 points in the final 7:15 for the Knicks, who earned their biggest comeback win of the season. Reserves Jordan Clarkson (25 points) and Tyler Kolek (16 points, nine assists) had big games while Karl-Anthony Towns (11 points, 14 rebounds) posted a double-double.
Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points for the Cavaliers, who squandered a pair of double-digit leads and lost a game they led entering the fourth quarter for the first time this season. Darius Garland recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists while Jaylon Tyson (16 points), Evan Mobley (14 points, nine rebounds in his return after a five-game absence) and De’Andre Hunter (13 points) all chipped in double figures off the bench.
Spurs 117, Thunder 102
De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points as San Antonio defeated defending NBA champions Oklahoma City for the first time this season.
The Spurs have won eight straight games — not including the NBA Cup Final loss to the New York Knicks on Dec. 16 — to extend their longest winning streak since 2018-19. Three of the Thunder’s five losses this season, including both of their last two, have come to San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama, who came off the bench for the sixth consecutive game after being out for nearly a month with a calf injury, finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in nearly 26 minutes for the Spurs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 22 points but was just 7 of 19 from the field, including 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. Isaiah Hartenstein paired 13 points with 12 rebounds and no other player scored more than 12 for the Thunder.
Warriors 126, Mavericks 116
Stephen Curry lost a personal duel with Cooper Flagg in their first head-to-head meeting, but combined with Gary Payton II to block a late exchange as Golden State held off Dallas in San Francisco.
Curry led the Warriors with 23 points in Golden State’s 13th consecutive appearance in the NBA’s holiday showcase. After the Mavericks trailed 110-104 with 4:28 to play, Payton turned a pass from Draymond Green into his impact dunk and Curry bombed a 26-footer on Golden State’s next possession to reopen a double-digit lead with 3:45 left.
Flagg scored 27 points and Brandon Williams added 26 for the Mavericks, who lost Anthony Davis for the game after he had right groin spasms in the fourth minute of the second quarter. He finished with three points, three rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes.
Rockets 119, Lakers 96
Amen Thompson scored a game-high 26 points and Kevin Durant added 25 as visiting Houston never trailed Los Angeles to cap a 2-4 trip on a high note.
Jabari Smith Jr scored 16 points while Alperen Sengun contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Rockets turned a 10-point halftime lead into an 81-58 advantage on Smith’s tip-in with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 25 points and seven assists while LeBron James scored 18 points in his 19th game on Christmas Day. Austin Reaves scored 12 points in the first half, but did not play in the second half due to soreness in his left calf. The Lakers were outscored 48-25.
