Nikola Jokic Stats Tonight: How did Nuggets superstar fare tonight against Timberwolves? (April 1)
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets continued their five-game home stand on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a potential first-round playoff matchup. The Nuggets have been very inconsistent over the past two weeks, though Jokic missed five games due to an ankle injury.
"The Joker" was fantastic in his first two games since returning from the injury, which both resulted in wins. He entered April Fool's Day averaging 29.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He's shooting 57.4% from the field and is one of the favorites to win MVP.
So how did the three-time NBA MVP perform tonight versus Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves? Jokic had the best game of his career, putting up 61 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. However, the Nuggets came up short 140-139 in double overtime.
Here are Nikola Jokic's stats in the first half:
Nikola Jokic scores career high in loss to Timberwolves
The Denver Nuggets played Tuesday's game without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., their second and third option on offense. Nikola Jokic started the contest with 16 points in the first quarter as the Nuggets quickly took control and had a 32-26 lead.
However, the Minnesota Timberwolves made things interesting in the second quarter, limiting Jokic to just seven points in the period. He turned it up a notch in the second half and overtime, pouring in 38 points in the final 34 minutes of the contest.
The Timberwolves were in control of the third quarter, so "The Joker" kept the Nuggets afloat. The hosts finally got the lead back in the final period and were seemingly headed for the victory. But Anthony Edwards caught fire as the game headed to overtime.
One extra period wasn't enough as the Timberwolves outlasted the Nuggets in double overtime. The visitors continue to have the number of the 2023 NBA champions, sweeping the season series 4-0.
Russell Westbrook's double whammy costs Nikola Jokic a win in his best game
Anthony Edwards turned the ball over with under 20 seconds left and the Minnesota Timberwolves down 139-138. Russell Westbrook recovered the ball, passed it to Christian Braun, who gave the ball back to the former NBA MVP.
Westbrook was open but missed the wide-open layup, leading to a fastbreak by the Timberwolves. The Denver Nuggets recovered on defense, forcing Edwards to kick the ball out to Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
With less than a second remaining on the clock, Alexander-Walker released the ball and was fouled by Westbrook. "NAW" made the first two free throws to give Minnesota the lead and missed the final one to let the clock reach zero as the buzzer sounded.