Jokic Makes History in Overtime Thriller as Nuggets Outlast Timberwolves
Nikola Jokic just added another chapter to his ever-growing legend-and this one might be the most jaw-dropping yet. In a game that had everything from wild momentum swings to clutch shot-making, Jokic delivered a performance for the ages: 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists in an overtime win over the Timberwolves.
That stat line? It’s never been done before in NBA history-55-15-15 had never even been touched until now.
And while Jokic himself downplayed it as just a “good game,” his teammates weren’t holding back.
“We’re watching history,” said Peyton Watson. “This is something that doesn’t happen again.
We will never see anything like this again. And I think everybody needs to be really paying attention.
… We can’t continue to just dismiss what this guy does on a night-to-night basis. Bro, it’s unbelievable.”
He’s not wrong. Jokic was surgical, hitting 15 of 21 shots from the field and going an absurd 22-of-23 from the free throw line.
He was the steady hand in a game that refused to stay steady. Denver built a 15-point lead with five minutes left in regulation-then watched it vanish.
The Nuggets still had a six-point cushion with 35 seconds to go, but Anthony Edwards buried a tough corner three to force overtime.
Minnesota came out swinging in the extra frame, scoring the first nine points. But just when it looked like the Nuggets were cooked, Jokic and company flipped the switch. Denver closed the game on a 27-14 run, sealing one of the most dramatic wins of the season.
“It sounds crazy, but I didn’t think we were completely out of it,” said interim head coach David Adelman. “Just because the way that game was and the shot-making and the star players doing what they did. You just felt like there were more moments to the game, if we could just get ourselves back into it.”
Injuries Piling Up, Rotation in Flux
While Jokic’s heroics stole the spotlight, the Nuggets are still navigating a tricky stretch health-wise. Cameron Johnson avoided a worst-case scenario with his knee injury-it’s a bone bruise, not structural damage-but he’s expected to miss four-to-six weeks. That leaves Denver down three starters, forcing Adelman to get creative with his rotations.
“You have an intelligent ‘guesstimation’ of a new rotation to play,” Adelman said. “I think you have to give it a couple of games.
Let’s just say it doesn’t go well today; you can’t just say, ‘OK, well let’s scrap it.’ So yeah, we’ll just reinvent ourselves as we go here.”
Adelman also expressed sympathy for Johnson, whose impact went well beyond the box score.
“I feel for Cam, man. I just felt like his trajectory was just going up.
Not the stats; just how he was playing. He was a high-minute guy for us, helping bridge the gap between the starters and the second unit.”
There is some good news on the injury front. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are both trending in the right direction.
Gordon has played just once since mid-November due to a strained right hamstring, while Braun has been out since November 12 with a sprained left ankle. Both players went through on-court workouts Thursday, but Adelman emphasized the team won’t rush them back.
“It’s one of those things that just because other guys got hurt, you can’t hurry their process,” he said. “So we just have to do what we have to do right now.
And I like the group we have. All year long, there’s been no crazy ups and downs emotionally.
We’ve just gotta continue to do what we’re doing.”
Roster Moves on the Horizon?
With the roster stretched thin, Denver does have some flexibility to make a move. The Nuggets are holding an open roster spot, and with 10-day contracts becoming available on January 5, that could be a short-term solution.
They also have two trade exceptions-one worth $6.9 million, the other $5.4 million-that could be used to add a piece. The challenge?
Limited draft capital. After sending a first-round pick to Brooklyn in the deal for Johnson, Denver is left with just two second-rounders available to trade.
So, while Jokic is doing things we’ve never seen before, the front office may need to get creative if the Nuggets are going to keep pace in a loaded Western Conference. For now, though, this team is riding the wave of a historic night-and the kind of MVP-level brilliance that makes anything feel possible.