The Minnesota Timberwolves (20-11) rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, only to give up a nine-point lead in OT as the Denver Nuggets (22-8) grabbed a 3-0 lead in the season series with a hard-fought 142-138 win on December 26.
Here are the key stats and the top performers of the game:
BEST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Nikola Jokic DEN C 56 PTS | 16 REB | 15 AST | 98.7 FPS
Jokic delivered an incredible performance. He came out strong, tallying 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the first quarter alone, then secured his 15th triple-double of the season by the third. He also made double history in OT, scoring 18 and surpassing Stephen Curry for the most points in an overtime period while also being the first player in NBA history to record 55-15-15 in a game. He also had an outstanding performance at the line, finishing 22-for-23.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE
Anthony Edwards MIN SG 44 PTS | 6 REB | 3 STL | 58.7 FPS
Edwards took control in the clutch, scoring 24 points in the fourth and overtime. He was also nearly perfect at the line, converting 11-of-13 and tying his best scoring game. This performance also marked his sixth 40-point performance and his tenth with five made threes this season.
SCORING MACHINES:
Julius Randle MIN PF 32 PTS | 7 REB | 6 AST | 59.4 FPS
Randle delivered in the second half, scoring 16 points to finish with his sixth 30-point game of the season.
Jaden McDaniels MIN PF 21 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST | 34.8 FPS
McDaniels came up big in the final quarter, scoring 12 points to help his team get back into the game. He was highly efficient on offense, shooting 9-for-12 from the field and posting his 8th 20-point outing of the season.
STAT SPECIALIST:
Naz Reid MIN C 13 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST | 23.7 FPS
Reid delivered a solid second quarter performance and finished with his 22nd double-digit scoring game of the season, while also recording his 17th game overall and sixth straight with at least six rebounds.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUT:
Rudy Gobert MIN C 9 PTS | 12 REB | 6 BLK | 41.4 FPS
Gobert finished with his best shot-blocking game of the season and his seventh-straight game with 10+ rebounds.
THE SHARPSHOOTER:
Jamal Murray DEN PG 35 PTS | 9 3PM | 10 AST | 51.4 FPS
Murray finished with his sixth 30-point outing this month, his tenth game of the season with 5 or more three-pointers made and his sixth game of the year with 10+ assists.
THE X-FACTOR:
Spencer Jones DEN SF 12 PTS | 8 REB | 2 STL | 27.1 FPS
Jones posted positive value in both scoring and rebounding while also staying impactful on defense, posting multiple steals in five of his last six games.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Tim Hardaway Jr. DEN SG 19 PTS | 4 REB | 1 BLK | 26.8 FPS
THJ has been on a roll, scoring at least 19 points and averaging 5.3 three-pointers in each of his last three games. While consistency has been an issue this season, he has been productive this month, averaging 14.8 points per game.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE GAME:
Donte DiVincenzo MIN SG 6 PTS | 8 REB | 8 AST
DiVincenzo put together a strong all-around performance, but his shooting struggles were evident as he missed all seven attempts from deep and finished 2-for-11.
