Jokic\u2019s performance against the Timberwolves is going to be the reason for Nuggets fans to toast to the three-time Most Valuable Player for many years to come \u2014 and there\u2019s no more appropriate choice than Jelen, an easy-drinking, light lager that is Serbia\u2019s most-popular brew. <\/p>\n
Jokic even appeared in one of the brand\u2019s commercials earlier in his career, and he deserved a couple of cold ones after dropping 56 points on 15 of 21 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-6 mark from the 3-point range. He also made all but one of his 23 free throws and set a new NBA record for the most points scored by an individual in overtime with 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we talk about how clutch Jok is enough,\u201d said Jamal Murray, who admitted he didn\u2019t have his full arsenal after tweaking his ankle early in the game.<\/p>\n
The 16 rebounds and 15 assists made for a singular performance in NBA history. It was the first game in NBA history where a player recorded 55 points with 15 rebounds and 15 assists and the first 50-point triple-double on Christmas.<\/p>\n
\u201cBro, it\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d Peyton Watson said in the postgame locker room. \u201cThere\u2019s no way that we could take it for granted or it should go over people\u2019s heads what Jok did tonight and every night, honestly.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re watching history on a night-to-night basis. That\u2019s why I want to continue to stress to the fans just how important it is to show up here and really enjoy this and really not take this for granted \u2014 because this is something that doesn\u2019t happen again,\u201d he added. \u201cWe will never see anything like this again.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Denver](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25360160783717-1024x683.jpg\")
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Joki\u0107, front, dribbles past Minnesota Timberwolves center Julius Randle in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n
The Joker often jokes about having a couple of cold ones and lying to his kids about his achievements once his playing days come to an end, but there\u2019s no exaggeration needed when it comes to what happened on Christmas 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a good game, of course,\u201d Jokic said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to look back and say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jokic was already on his way to a big night when he posted 18 points, five rebounds and four assists in the first quarter. He completed triple-double No. 179, closing within two such games of tying Oscar Robertson for second on the NBA\u2019s all-time list, early in the third quarter. He finished regulation with 38 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists, but a late Minnesota run made it look like another massive game from the best player to ever put on a Nuggets uniform would end in a loss.<\/p>\n
Jokic\u2019s highest-scoring game, a 61-point triple-double against the Timberwolves in April, came in a double overtime defeat. It looked like history was going to repeat itself after Minnesota started overtime on a 9-0 run that spanned the first two minutes of the five-minute period.<\/p>\n
A couple of Jokic 3-pointers in the next minute had Denver within two points less than a minute later. <\/p>\n
On the first one, Spencer Jones screened Jokic\u2019s man, Jaden McDaniels, who paid the price for going under the screen. A couple of possessions later, Jones recognized a Timberwolves adjustment. McDaniels switched onto Jones before a screen was set, while Rudy Gobert stayed close to the rim, so Jones screened his own man, a decision that gave Jokic a wide-open look at a momentum-tilting triple that touched nothing by nylon. <\/p>\n
It should come as no surprise that Jokic was happier to share the credit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose screens were really good. (It\u2019s) just the sacrifice that he\u2019s willing to do,\u201d Jokic said of his young teammate. \u201cHe\u2019s listening. He\u2019s trying to be the best possible version of himself on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
After his final 3 of the night, Jokic grabbed his final rebound and subsequently tied the game with a driving floater. He went on to sink a couple of go-ahead free throws after an Adelman challenge reversed a foul call and sent Gobert to the bench with six fouls. He closed out the Timberwolves by going 6 of 7 at the line in the final 30 seconds.<\/p>\n
During his eight-plus seasons with the Nuggets, there have been numerous Jokic performances that warrant being replayed in the years to come that have ended in dramatic losses. Those are the ones that will force Adelman to immediately change the channel. But the masterpiece that combined all-time efficiency and production is plenty of reason to produce a \u201cZiveli!\u201d \u2014 the most popular toast in Serbia.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe makes the right play all the time. When you do that, I just think your efficiency stays where it\u2019s at, because in your mind, you\u2019re playing with the right flow. You\u2019re just making the right play each time. I\u2019m just proud of him \u2014 the way he played and his whole approach to the game,\u201d Adelman said. \u201cJust don\u2019t get tired of this. It\u2019s the best player in the world man. It\u2019s just the bottom line.\u201d<\/p>\n
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