Nikola Jokić delivered a historic Christmas night performance, recording a 56-point triple-double and setting an NBA record with 18 points in overtime to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 142-138 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokić finished with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists, producing the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history and becoming just the third player ever to score at least 55 points on Christmas Day, joining Bernard King and Wilt Chamberlain.
Anthony Edwards nearly stole the game for Minnesota with a strong performance of his own. Battling shoulder pain, Edwards scored 44 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, highlighted by a game-tying three-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation that capped a 24-9 Timberwolves run after Denver had built a 15-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Edwards scored 24 points across the fourth quarter and overtime, marking his fifth 40-point game of the season, but his night ended when he was ejected with 20.5 seconds left in overtime after receiving his second technical foul.
Jokić took complete control in overtime, scoring 18 of Denver’s 27 overtime points after Minnesota briefly grabbed a nine-point lead. His 18 overtime points broke Stephen Curry’s previous record of 17, set in 2016, for the most in any regular-season or playoff overtime. The three-time MVP completed his triple-double midway through the third quarter and finished with his 179th career triple-double, while Jamal Murray added 35 points to help Denver overcome the absence of three starters.
The win improved the Nuggets to 22-8 and a perfect 3-0 against the Timberwolves this season. Denver remains third in the Western Conference, one game behind the San Antonio Spurs and 3.5 games back of the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. Jokić’s dominance against Minnesota continued a familiar trend, as he has now posted triple-doubles in four straight games against the Timberwolves, including his career-high 61-point performance against them last April.
NIKOLA JOKIĆ WITH VIDEO GAME STATS ON CHRISTMAS DAY 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2025
🃏 56 PTS
🃏 16 REB
🃏 15 AST
🃏 2 BLK
🃏 4 3PM
THE FIRST 55/15/15 GAME IN NBA HISTORY 🚨 pic.twitter.com/8LPXlFWO6V
