Nikola Jokic put on an absolute show on Christmas Day, dragging the Denver Nuggets to a hard-fought 142-138 overtime win over the Timberwolves despite being without three other starters. Denver had no business winning that game on paper, but the Joker took over when it mattered most, bullying Minnesota inside, spraying passes everywhere, and finishing with an insane stat line of 56 points, 15 assists, and 16 rebounds.
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Games like this are exactly why the Serbian sensation’s MVP case keeps getting stronger. When the roster thins out and things get ugly, he somehow gets even better, carrying the load like it’s nothing.
At one point in the game, Rudy Gobert fouled out for the Wolves, leaving a massive question over who would guard the Nuggets’ centerpiece. Jaden McDaniels had to step in simply because he was the only player left tall enough to match Jokic. Despite his best efforts, he was dominated. Speaking to the press afterward, McDaniels admitted there are no answers for the league’s best player.
“Jokic, I mean I couldn’t really do nothing that Rudy couldn’t do so I mean, I don’t know, I can’t guard him. I was just the last man that was tall enough to be honest, there is no answer for him, I ain’t gonna lie,” McDaniels said with a smile on his face.
Honestly, what else could he say? McDaniels would have never had the assignment in the first place but bravely stepped up when his team needed him.
Jaden McDaniels on guarding Jokic in overtime “Jokic, I mean I couldn’t really do nothing that Rudy couldn’t do so I mean, I don’t know, I can’t guard him. I was just the last man that was tall enough to be honest, there is no answer for him, I ain’t gonna lie” pic.twitter.com/6tlX98WxRE
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 27, 2025
Must have been nice for Jokic and the Nuggets to get another W over Minnesota, who seemingly had their number in the past. Not this year. Denver is 3-0 in their last few matchups against Anthony Edwards and company. They might not be able to avenge their loss to them in the 2024 postseason, but a win is a win.
The win also mattered in the bigger picture of the Western Conference, where the standings are as tight as ever. Denver sits firmly in the #3 seed behind the Spurs and the Thunder. Every win feels magnified this season, and games like this are the difference between home-court advantage and a brutal first-round matchup. With how stacked the conference is, having the best player (Jokic) on the floor is the ultimate separator.
Assuming Denver is fully healthy by the spring, the Nuggets instantly become one of the most dangerous teams in the bracket. Furthermore, they are seasoned. They know what it takes to win it all. Last year they took the Thunder to 7-Games in the Conference semis and proved that they could hang with anyone if the ball drops for them at the right time.
