Timberwolves fall in overtime to Nuggets after Nikola Jokic’s monster triple-double, Anthony Edwards’ ejection

DENVER – The Timberwolves this week benefited from playing a Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo and a Knicks team that sat out Jalen Brunson.

Thursday, in the final game of the NBA’s traditional Christmas quintupleheader, they drew a Nuggets team that was missing more than half its starting lineup. But Denver still had Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and that proved to be enough ... barely.

Jokic had a 56-point, 16-rebound, 15-assist triple-double and set an NBA record with 18 points in overtime, Murray hit nine three-pointers and scored 35 points and the Nuggets beat the Wolves 142-138, overcoming 44 points from Anthony Edwards in a wild game played before an announced 20,046 at Ball Arena.

How wild? Denver, which won two games by double digits at Target Center earlier this season, appeared to be on its way to another comfortable victory, leading by 15 points with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, before the Wolves scored 11 points in a row to get back into it. Down three on their final possession with 3.6 seconds to play, they tied the score at 115-115 on Edwards’ twisting three-pointer from the left corner with 1.1 seconds left. The Wolves closed regulation on a 24-9 run.

“Kobe Bryant was like this — and I can use that name with Anthony Edwards, because Anthony’s got a chance to be one of those guys you put up there — once he caught it in rhythm to turn, that’s part of his shooting motion, and now you’re in trouble," Denver coach David Adelman said in his postgame news conference. “You have to make the ball go towards the basket.”

The Wolves then scored the first nine points of OT, only to see Denver storm back by hitting four big three-pointers, including two by Jokic. Murray’s final three-pointer of the game gave the Nuggets the lead for good at 131-128 with 35 seconds left.

“They made three threes in a row. That was the difference,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said in his postgame news conference. “Jokic hit a couple pin-down threes, and they tightened the game right back up.”

An Edwards dunk got the Wolves within 132-130 with 25 seconds to go, but he was called for his team’s second delay-of-game violation of overtime — a technical foul — for touching the ball out of bounds before it was inbounded. Jokic made the technical free throw, and on the ensuing inbounds play, after it appeared the Wolves might have forced a Jokic turnover, Donte DiVincenzo was called for a foul on a late whistle with 20.5 seconds left.

Following that call, Edwards received two technical fouls — the first from Scott Foster, the second from Matt Myers — and was ejected. (The delay-of-game technical did not count towards an Edwards ejection.) Denver made three of four free throws for a six-point lead and held on from there. Edwards was spotted signing autographs for young fans as he left the court.

Finch, who was ejected from the Dec. 20 victory over Oklahoma City for picking up two first-quarter technicals arguing with officials, chose not to address the officiating or Edwards’ ejection, saying, “That’s a question for Ant.”

Denver Post reporter Bennett Durando wrote on X that he attempted to get comment from Edwards following the ejection but was prevented from entering the Wolves locker room by arena security.

Rudy Gobert had fouled out with less than a minute left in OT after Denver successfully challenged a foul on a Gobert steal attempt. Gobert later said he was “hammered” grabbing an offensive rebound following a missed three-pointer by Edwards earlier in OT, but no foul was called.

Edwards scored 14 points in the first quarter, 14 in the fourth and 11 in overtime. He injured his right shoulder after falling following his final basket of the first quarter, when he made a reverse layup, and it appeared to bother him at times, but he didn’t seem to show any adverse effects late.

Edwards made good on his prediction for a big Christmas night performance. In the leadup to the game, he told ESPN: “I’m gonna have 30 points for sure. I might have 40. But it’s gonna be a night.”

Randle added 32 points and Jaden McDaniels had 21 for the Wolves, who had won 10 of their previous 12 games, including three in a row.

BOXSCORE: Denver 142, Wolves 138 (OT)

NBA standings

The Nuggets, already without starters Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle), also lost Cameron Johnson to a knee injury suffered in their previous game Dec. 23. The forward avoided serious injury, the Associated Press reported, but is expected to miss a few games.

With Johnson out, Tim Hardaway Jr. started and scored 19 points, including a three-pointer in overtime after the Wolves’ hot start to the extra period.

“This is one of those crazy NBA games with two really good teams, top-tier teams,” Adelman said. “I’m just proud we found a way.”