Jokić Drops 56 as Nuggets Survive Collapse to Stun Timberwolves
DENVER, December 27, 2025 – It was a performance that felt like déjà vu, yet somehow carried the urgency of a postseason thriller. At Ball Arena, Nikola Jokić didn’t just play; he dominated, pouring in 56 points to drag the Denver Nuggets across the finish line in a contest they seemed determined to give away.
The box score will show a Nuggets victory, but the path there was anything but linear. Denver appeared to be cruising, holding a comfortable 106-91 lead with just five minutes left in regulation. Even when things began to wobble, they still held a six-point cushion with 35 seconds on the clock. But against a resilient Minnesota squad, no lead was safe.
In a chaotic sequence that nearly silenced the home crowd, the Timberwolves were gifted a lifeline. Anthony Edwards, ever the opportunist, drew a crucial foul on a 3-point attempt. The resulting free throws sliced the deficit, allowing Minnesota head coach Chris Finch to play the possession game perfectly. The Nuggets’ defense faltered, the lead evaporated, and overtime was forced a collapse that could have broken a lesser team spirit.
However, the extra period belonged entirely to Denver. Shaking off the regulation meltdown, the Nuggets exploded for a 27-14 run in the final three minutes of overtime. It was a decisive response to their own fragility, turning a potential tragedy into a high-octane triumph.
There is something about the Minnesota Timberwolves that brings out the absolute best in Nikola Jokić. His 56-point explosion tied the second-highest scoring output of his career. The only time he has scored more? That was his career-high 61 points, also dropped on Minnesota at Ball Arena just last April.
For the Nuggets, this win is a double-edged sword. It highlights their reliance on Jokić’s historic scoring ability to bail out late-game execution errors. While the resilience to dominate overtime is commendable, the inability to close out a 15-point lead in the final five minutes of regulation will be the talking point in the film room.
The Edwards Lifeline
The game hinged on a singular moment of discipline or lack thereof from the Nuggets’ defense. With victory seconds away, fouling a perimeter scorer like Anthony Edwards is the cardinal sin of closing out games. That whistle didn’t just stop the clock; it completely shifted the momentum, forcing Denver to win the game twice in one night.
The Nuggets survived, but they flirted with disaster. While Jokić proved once again why he is the ultimate equalizer against Minnesota, the team’s late-game volatility remains a concern. They escaped their own collapse this time, but relying on 50-point masterpieces to fix fourth-quarter breakdowns is a dangerous strategy for the long haul.
