Nikola Jokic sets NBA record with 61 points in Nuggets' loss to Timberwolves
Nikola Jokic delivered a career-best performance with 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history
- DENVER (US) — Nikola Jokic delivered a career-best performance with 61 points,
10 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA
history. But it wasn’t enough to save the Denver Nuggets from a 140-139
overtime defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.
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- The three-time MVP surpassed the previous record held by
his Nuggets teammate Russell Westbrook, who notched a 57-point triple-double
for Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017.
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- With the Nuggets leading 139-138 in the final seconds of
overtime, Westbrook had a chance to seal the game but missed a lay-up with 10
seconds remaining. In a cruel twist of fate, he then fouled Nickeil
Alexander-Walker on a last-gasp three-point attempt with just 0.1 seconds left
on the clock. Alexander-Walker coolly sank two of his three free throws,
completing a dramatic comeback for the Timberwolves.
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- Minnesota pulled off the victory despite missing key
players Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo, who were serving suspensions following
an altercation with the Detroit Pistons earlier in the week. The win lifted the
Timberwolves to seventh in the Western Conference, while the Nuggets remain
third.
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- Elsewhere, another generational talent stole the
spotlight. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry turned back the clock with a masterclass
in three-point shooting, draining 12 triples on his way to a sensational
52-point performance in the Golden State Warriors' 134-125 victory over the
Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.
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- The Warriors superstar and four-time NBA champion also
passed LeBron James (active) and Rick Barry (retired) and is now tied with
Damian Lillard (active) for the sixth-most career 50-point games in NBA history
(15), according to NBA report.
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- Already the league’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers,
Curry joined the top 25 scorers in NBA history. Reggie Miller, whom Curry
passed in all-time 3s made in 2021, is next up on the all-time scoring list at
No. 24. Alex English, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett and Russell Westbrook round
out the 20-through-25 group.
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- Curry’s brilliance propelled the Warriors past the
Grizzlies in the standings, moving them into fifth in the Western Conference.
