Nikola Jokic breaks Steph Curry's record with 18 points in OT and Nuggets set mark with 27 OT points

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic's magnitude is matched only by his modesty.

“I mean, I had a good game,” Denver's superstar center said in his typical understated fashion after setting an NBA record by scoring 18 points in overtime, leading the Nuggets past Minnesota 142-138 on Thursday night.

Those 18 points came in the final 2:53 of overtime, no less, and Jokic finished with 56 points along with 16 rebounds and 15 assists for his 179th career triple-double.

No player in NBA history ever had a 55-15-15 triple-double before Jokic's masterpiece capped the league's five-game Christmas Day slate.

Every bit of it was necessary for the short-handed Nuggets, playing without three opening night starters, to overcome a 44-point performance by Anthony Edwards, who sent the game to overtime with a twisting 3-pointer from the left corner with a second to go in regulation.

Edwards scored 11 points in OT but picked up two technical fouls in the final minute, one for knocking the ball out of Jokic's hands on a dead ball following a basket.

Edwards scored seven quick points at the start of overtime as the Wolves used a 9-0 run to take a 124-115 lead and silence the sell-out crowd at Ball Arena.

The Nuggets looked cooked. And coach David Adelman called timeout with 2:59 remaining.

That's when Jokic took over.

The Nuggets' 27 points from that point on set an NBA record for most points scored in a five-minute overtime, and it started with a 3-pointer from Jokic at the 2:53 mark.

Jamal Murray, who added 35 points, blocked Rudy Gobert's putback and dished to Tim Hardaway for a 3. After Julius Randle made two free throws, Jokic hit another 3-pointer, then tied it 126-all with a floating jump shot with 1:26 remaining.

Over the final 56 seconds, Jokic made 10 of 11 free throws, giving him 18 points in the extra period, breaking Steph Curry's record of 17 points in a single overtime set in 2016.

“The best player in the world,” Adelman marveled, rattling off what he called a “crazy stat line” and terrific efficiency by Jokic, who made 15 of 21 shots, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, sank 22 of 23 free throws and had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

“I'll just keep saying: Don't get tired of this," Adelman said. "He's the best player in the world, just the bottom line. And what he does nightly it's important to the game of basketball. It's good for sports — it's good for his head coach.”

The Nuggets certainly are accustomed to historic performances from their Serbian superstar and three-time MVP.

Told that Jokic broke Curry's individual record of 17 points in an overtime, Murray said, "Seems about right.”

With the Wolves so focused on Jokic, Murray shot a career-high 18 3-pointers and sank half of them, including a key 3 in overtime when he was being guarded by Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.

“Yeah, I just told the bench I was going to shoot a pull-up because of the way they were guarding Jokic,” Murray said. “The way he was scoring, they were so focused on him. I don't think I shot for most of the fourth and overtime.”

The Nuggets are accustomed to Jokic's superlative performances, but this one stood out given that Denver blew a late 15-point late lead in regulation and fell behind by nine in overtime.

Edwards scored seven of those points and finished with 44 before his ejection for picking up two quick technical fouls in overtime as the Nuggets closed on a 27-14 spurt.

“They're gonna show this game 20 years from now, I'll crack open a beer and watch it," Adelman said. “There's other ones that I flip on NBA TV and I immediately turn the channel. So, this was one of those crazy NBA games with two really good teams, top-tier teams, so just proud that we found a way.”

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić reacts after he was called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, right, drives to the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, front, flips a loose ball as Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert defends in overtime of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, back, looks to pass the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards defends in overtime of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The Detroit Pistons can complete another historic comeback against the Orlando Magic. The Cleveland Cavaliers will settle for one more home victory over the Toronto Raptors.

The Pistons host the Magic in their Game 7 on Sunday in a late-afternoon contest, while the Cavaliers and Raptors wrap up the first round in primetime.

The winners move on to meet in an Eastern Conference semifinal series, which begins Tuesday in either Detroit, Cleveland or Toronto.

Detroit faced a 3-1 deficit to Orlando in its first-round series in 2003 before winning the final three games. The Pistons are the only top seed to do so against the No. 8 seed since the first round was expanded to a best-of-seven series the same year.

They are hoping to do it again.

After a 116-109 win in Game 5, the Pistons rallied from a 24-point second-half deficit to defeat the Magic 93-79 on Friday and send the series back to Detroit.

Orlando missed 23 straight shots from the field, including 13 from 3-point range, the most by any team in a playoff game during the play-by-play era that started in 1996-97. This was part of a 35-5 Pistons run.

“Having your back against the wall really shows who you are,” said Detroit point guard Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 32.5 points in the series. “There has been a lot of adversity so far in this series. I think we have learned a lot about who we are as a team and individually, and what we are made of. It has been a fun series. We want to get back to the crib and handle our business back home.”

The Magic still hope to become the seventh No. 8 seed to eliminate the conference’s top seed in the first round, but they need to bounce back quickly.

“The series ain’t over. I know they’ve clawed their way to tie it up 3-3. We won a game to start the series, and we’ve just got to go do it again,” forward Paolo Banchero said.

In a first round where the road team has won 18 games in seven other first-round series, the Cavaliers and Raptors have maintained serve, with the home team winning each game.

The Cavaliers’ 2024 first-round series against the Magic went the same way, with Cleveland winning 106-94 in Game 7 to advance.

“Protect home court. It doesn’t matter if we lost by 30 or two, protect home court. That’s all you can do,” point guard Donovan Mitchell said.

Toronto’s RJ Barrett sent it back to Cleveland for a deciding game when his 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime hit off the back rim and bounced high above the backboard before going through the net to give the Raptors a 112-110 victory.

For many fans, the shot brought back memories of Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce buzzer-beating winner in Game 7 of the 2019 East semifinals against Philadelphia. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA championship.

Barrett noted that the focus quickly shifted to Sunday night.

“Kind of forget everything that’s happened so far. Got one game to decide it all,” he said. “I think this group has been tough and resilient, and we’ve fought through the toughest of tasks all year long. So going to Cleveland is going to be a tough task, but that’s what we’re built for.”

The Raptors are trying to become the first team since Dallas in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals to win a Game 7 on the road after the first six were won by the home team.

When/Where to watch: Game 7, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC)

Series: Series tied 3-3

Betting line: Pistons by 8.5

What to Know: Whoever wins will end a long playoff drought. The Pistons haven’t made it past the first round since 2008, while the Magic haven’t won a playoff series since 2010. Detroit is 5-5 in Game 7s and unbeaten in four home games. Orlando is 2-2 and 1-2 on the road. Cunningham has scored at least 25 points in all six playoff games, including a team-record 45 in Game 5. Orlando forward Franz Wagner, who averaged 16.8 points in the first four games, is expected to miss a third straight game with a right calf strain.

When/Where to watch: Game 7, 7:30 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)

Series: Series tied 3-3

Betting line: Cavaliers by 8.5

What to Know: Cleveland is looking to advance past the first round for the third straight year. It is 6-2 in Game 7s, including 4-0 at home. So far in the 2026 playoffs, James Harden is averaging 21.0 points and 6.7 assists, but he is also committing 5.7 turnovers per game. Toronto is 3-3 in Game 7s and is playing its first one on the road since the 2021 conference semifinals against Philadelphia, which it lost 88-87. Forward Brandon Ingram is questionable after missing Friday’s game due to right heel inflammation.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) protects the ball from Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain, center, struggles to get off a shot between Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed, left, and guard Cade Cunningham during the second half in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) reads to a basket scored against the Orlando Magic by guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)