At the end of a long Christmas Day, many of us had hit the hay by the time the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic took the court for the final game of the NBA's holiday slate.
That meant waking up to the news that Jokic had put together one of the merriest games in NBA history.
The final stats are almost impossible to fathom:
- 56 points
- 16 rebounds
- 15 assists
- 2 blocks
- 15-21 FG
- 4-6 3FG
- 22-23 FT
The Nuggets beat the Timberwolves in overtime, 142-138.
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Jokic added another feather to his cap in the case for being one of the best players of all time.
There have been legitimate arguments made in the last year or two that Jokic is the best offensive player ever. Some would push for others, of course, but Jokic certainly makes it easy to argue in his favor when he puts up a night like this.
Even as a hefty center, he can score from anywhere on the floor with touch and guile, and he is one of the best passers to ever step onto a basketball court.
It was logical, given the alternatives, that the NBA put the Jokic game at the end of the night and not earlier. But imagine if the big fella had been putting up a line like this in the middle of Christmas afternoon with all kinds of eyes watching him.
Plenty stayed up late and weren't disappointed, because Jokic rarely disappoints, and often he simply amazes.
This was one of the most amazing. Jokic rose to the occasion against a very strong opponent on a very special day for the NBA. That's how you cap off a holiday.
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- Anthony Edwards had an "I'm him" moment vs. Thunder
- We finally know how Michael Jordan really feels about Scottie Pippen
- Cooper Flagg's clutch stats are unprecedented