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.
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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)
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)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Kylian Mbappé put France ahead with a brilliant crossover step in the 45th minute and then added a second-half goal to break a World Cupknockout round scoring record, and Les Bleus beat Sweden 3-0 Tuesday to set up a round of 16 match against Paraguay.
Bradley Barcola added a 53rd-minute goal for France and Mbappé capped the scoring in the 74th minute for his third two-goal game in four matches. His six goals tied Argentina forward Lionel Messi for the tournament lead and gave him 18 in his World Cup career, one shy of Messi's record.
“I’m very aware of who I am, how I play, what I shall do, but it’s not just about me,” Mbappé said through a translator." The entire team is aware of what should be done. It is a new competition that has started today. We did play well, but we were timid. We could have done better at the beginning."
Mbappé’s 10 knockout round goals are two more than the previous high by Brazilian greats Leonidas and Ronaldo. France coach Didier Deschamps bowed when his star came to the bench after he was substituted in the 85th minute.
“We’re on a mission. — so am I with them,” Deschamps said through a translator.
France, the World Cup runner-up four years ago and a tournament favorite this time, has outscored opponents 13-2, with Michael Olise assisting on five goals.
“They are skilled at knowing when to change the pace and increase it, when to possess the ball, went to fall back,” Sweden captain Victor Lindelöf said through a translator.
Seeking to reach its third straight World Cup final, France plays Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia, and the winner advances to a quarterfinal against Canada or Morocco five days later at Foxborough, Massachusetts.
On a brutally hot afternoon at MeLife Stadium, site of the World Cup final in July 19, France outshot Sweden 25-7, including 15-3 in the first half. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), sunny and humid at the 5 p.m. kickoff with poor air quality. During the first half hydration break, France defender Lucas Digne let himself be doused by a sprinkler.
Mbappé hit a post in the 32nd minute, raising both hands in disgust, and France nearly went ahead four minutes later on Olise’s spectacular bicycle kick from just inside the penalty area, which also clanked off a post.
In the first World Cup meeting between the nations, Mbappé scored after goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström tipped Olise’s shot just outside the post.
Olise played a short corner kick to Ousmane Dembélé, who passed to Mbappé near the byline. Mbappé took a crossover step to get around Viktor Gyökeres and from just outside the 6-yard box sent a diagonal shot inside the far post.
Mbappé ran up the center of the field to celebrate his 61st international goal, colliding with Dembélé, and jogged to the bench to hug Deschamps, who returned for the match after going to France for his mother’s funeral.
“He knows that he will never be alone with us and we will support him,” Mbappé said.
Gustaf Lagerbielke lost the ball ahead of France’s second goal. Aurélien Tchouaméni passed to Olise, who nutmegged Lagerbielke, and Barcola took a centering touch and sent the ball past Zetterström’s outstretched right hand.
Mbappé entertained the crowd with a backheel pass to Barcola in the buildup to France’s third goal. Barcola passed to Olise, who passed to Mbappé as the star sprinted into the penalty area. He steadied the ball with a touch and fired the ball inside the far post.
A crowd of 80,663 raised the record total for the expanded 104-match tournament above 5 million. A majority of fans wore France’s blue, with a pocket in Sweden’s yellow at one end.
“If we look at where we were not so long ago — we’re here and we’ve played in the World Cup," Lindelöf said. “We lost against one of the best countries in the world.”
Mbappé wasn't quite ready to turn his attention to Paraguay just yet.
“I’m looking forward to the changing room and the AC," he said.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
France's Kylian Mbappe, left, celebrates with his coach Didier Deschamps after scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
France's Kylian Mbappe reacts after scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
France's Kylian Mbappé (10) scores his team's third goal against Sweden's Jacob Widell Zetterström (1) during a World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
France's Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
France's Desire Doue, left, views for the ball with Sweden's Taha Ali during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Sweden's Gustaf Lagerbielke (2) reacts after their loss in the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Sweden's Gustaf Lagerbielke (2) reacts after their loss in the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
France's Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
France's Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates scoring their third goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
