Denver center Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to score at least 55 points, at least 15 rebounds and at least 15 assists in a single game.
Nikola Jokic had 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists as the host Denver Nuggets rallied from a nine-overtime loss to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 142-138 on Thursday night.
The 30-year-old center is the first player in NBA history to record at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game. Jokic also became the third-highest score ever recorded on Christmas Day, behind Bernard King’s 60 points in 1984 and Wilt Chamberlain’s 59 points in 1961.
Recommended stories
list of two itemsend of list
“It was a crazy game and we were a little behind, so it’s nice to get a win,” Jokic said on ABC after the game.
It was Jokic’s 15th triple-double of the season. He currently has 179 points in his career in the regular season and 21 points in the postseason.
Jamal Murray had 35 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who had lost two of their past 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 overtime session.
For Minnesota, which has won three straight, Julius Randle scored 32 points, Jaden McDaniels had 21 points and Rudy Gobert had 12 rebounds.
Knicks 126, Cavaliers 124
Host New York overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter and defeated Cleveland, with Jalen Brunson hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining.
Brunson scored 13 of his 34 points in the final 7 minutes and 15 seconds, giving the Knicks their biggest come-from-behind win of the season. Reserves Jordan Clarkson (25 points) and Tyler Kolek (16 points, nine assists) had big games, and Karl-Anthony Towns (11 points, 14 rebounds) recorded a double-double.
Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points for the Cavaliers, who trailed by double digits and lost a game in which they led entering the fourth quarter for the first time this season. Darius Garland had a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists, while Jaylon Tyson (16 points), Evan Mobley (14 points, nine rebounds in his first return for five games) and DeAndre Hunter (13 points) all scored in double figures off the bench.
Spurs 117, Thunder 102
De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points as San Antonio suffered back-to-back losses to reigning NBA champion 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 December 16), extending their longest winning streak since the 2018-19 season. Three of the Thunder’s five losses this season, including the last two, have all come at San Antonio.
For the Spurs, Victor Wembaneyama, who came off the bench for the sixth straight game after missing nearly a month with a calf injury, played about 26 minutes and had 19 points and 11 rebounds. 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 had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, and no other player had more than 12 points.
Warriors 126, Mavericks 116
Stephen Curry lost the individual scoring duel to Cooper Flagg in the first head-to-head, but teamed up with Gary Payton II to stall a second-half rally that helped Golden State hold off Dallas in San Francisco.
Curry led the Warriors with 23 points in Golden State’s 13th straight appearance in the NBA Holiday Showcase. After the Mavericks were within 110-104 with 4:28 left, Payton took a pass from Draymond Green for a momentum-fueled dunk, and Curry hit a 26-footer on Golden State’s next possession to extend the lead to double digits again with 3:45 left.
Flagg scored a game-high 27 points and Brandon Williams added 26 points for the Mavericks, but Anthony Davis left the game four minutes into the second quarter with right groin spasms. He had three points, three rebounds, and two blocks in 11 minutes.
Rockets 119, Lakers 96
Armen Thompson scored a game-high 26 points and Kevin Durant added 25 points for visiting Houston, which held on to Los Angeles and wrapped up its road trip with a 2-4 record.
Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 16 points and Alperen Sengan contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds, and the Rockets led by 10 points at halftime, but with 5:52 left in the third quarter, Smith’s tip-in increased their lead to 81-58.
Luka Doncic had 25 points and seven assists for the Lakers, and LeBron James scored 18 points in his 19th Christmas Day game. Austin Reeves scored 12 points in the first half, but was unable to play in the second half due to left calf pain. The Lakers were outrebounded 48-25.
