Serbian center Nikola Jokic was undoubtedly the star of the traditional NBA Christmas Day games, leading his Denver Nuggets to a 142-138 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves with a spectacular triple-double and the third-highest scoring performance in the history of this special day.
Jokic delivered a brutal performance in a game that was ultimately decided in overtime, where he scored 18 of the Nuggets’ 27 points, finishing with a total of 56 points on an impressive 15-of-21 shooting (71.4 percent). This performance earned him the third-best scoring mark on Christmas Day in the American league, behind Bernard King’s record of 60 points for the New York Knicks in 1984 and Wilt Chamberlain’s 59 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961.
The Serbian player became the fifth player to reach the 50-point mark on Christmas Day, a feat also accomplished by Luka Doncic and Rick Barry, both with 50 points. He also added a remarkable triple-double with 16 rebounds and 15 assists, achieving this statistical milestone for the second time in his career on this special day.
