Check out the best plays from Nikola Joki\u0107’s historic Christmas Day performance vs. Minnesota.<\/p>\n
How exactly do we process 56-16-15? Is there a rational explanation for the performance, the historical connotation attached to it, the 7-foot machine that produced those Powerball lottery numbers?<\/p>\n
Well, consider that it came at the expense of a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. And it happened on Christmas Day, the most visible spot on the regular season schedule. And it was against a team that went to the Western Conference Finals two years straight. And it was done while missing three very crucial starters in the lineup.<\/p>\n
Yes, all that.<\/p>\n
But the game that contained the points, rebounds and assists, as astounding as they were, wasn\u2019t all that surprising. There\u2019s only one player capable of mustering that. This is what Nikola Joki\u0107 does, and has been doing for years. This is why he\u2019s crashing top-10 all-time lists and widely considered the greatest player still active in the NBA.<\/p>\n
And obviously, this is why he\u2019s the leader on the Kia Race to the MVP.<\/p>\n
NIKOLA JOKI\u0106 WITH VIDEO GAME STATS ON CHRISTMAS DAY \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udccf 56 PTS
\ud83c\udccf 16 REB
\ud83c\udccf 15 AST
\ud83c\udccf 2 BLK
\ud83c\udccf 4 3PM<\/p>\n
THE FIRST 55\/15\/15 GAME IN NBA HISTORY \ud83d\udea8 pic.twitter.com\/8LPXlFWO6V<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The voting for the award won\u2019t take place for another four months, and plenty can happen between now and then. This is the NBA. The road ahead often takes wicked turns and twists of fate.<\/p>\n But let\u2019s safely say, for now, that there\u2019s Joki\u0107 \u2026 followed by a gap \u2026 and then there\u2019s everyone else on the MVP Ladder.<\/p>\n That effort against Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves was inspiring and dominant; also, can\u2019t forget the 15-21 field goal accuracy and 22-23 from the free throw line and two blocks and the durable 43 minutes played in the overtime win. No other player ever dropped 55-plus and 15-plus (twice) in one game.<\/p>\n Nuggets forward Peyton Watson said: \u201cI\u2019m tired of not being surprised. This surprised me \u2026 We can\u2019t continue to dismiss what this guy does on a night-to-night basis. It\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s Joki\u0107.<\/p>\n Greatness is often taken for granted if only because it becomes routine, and that\u2019s perhaps the ultimate compliment to Joki\u0107. It\u2019s routine for him. Anyone else does it, it\u2019s cause for a Gatorade splash, a celebration, etc., etc., and endless over-the-top soundbites.<\/p>\n Joki\u0107? Just another night for him.<\/p>\n And poor Gobert; Joki\u0107 dropped 61 points on him a year ago in yet another triple-double masterpiece.<\/p>\n But Joki\u0107 does that against a lot of defenders, no matter their level. It\u2019s nothing personal. It\u2019s just what a legendary player does, compiling triple-doubles. He doesn\u2019t actually look to score; it\u2019s not his preferred method of destruction. He\u2019d rather pass and rebound. But the Nuggets are shorthanded and Joki\u0107 has little choice but to look for his shot constantly.<\/p>\n What does this mean?<\/p>\n The West was on alert well before that Christmas performance, but even more now. Because through all the fuss generated by the Oklahoma City Thunder over the first two months, and the Los Angeles Lakers with Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and the development of Austin Reaves, and lately by the ahead-of-schedule San Antonio Spurs, none of those teams are bringing Joki\u0107.<\/p>\n Those contenders must eventually figure him out and devise a way to stop him at some point, especially in the postseason. Minnesota couldn\u2019t on Thursday.<\/p>\n And unless there\u2019s a serious shakeup between now and April, the MVP award is tilting in favor of the Serbian superstar.<\/p>\n Setting the stage this week: Since this is the holiday period, nothing beats having the chance to go home \u2014 if only while wearing the opposing uniform. When this happens, those players usually produce solid, if not epic, results. On Wednesday, a pair of MVP contenders will have that chance. Stephen Curry will make his annual trip to Charlotte on Wednesday, and Anthony Edwards, born and raised in Atlanta, travels there for Jalen Johnson and the Hawks.<\/p>\n The stat to know: He\u2019s a notoriously slow starter \u2014 one reason why he hasn\u2019t made an All-Star team \u2014 but not this year for Jamal Murray. The Nuggets guard went into Christmas Day with eight games of 30-plus points, including a 50- and 40-piece, and is shooting 45% from deep, and he extended the streak with 35 points in Denver\u2019s win over Minnesota.<\/p>\n What they are saying: \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think about that. At least from a basketball standpoint, there\u2019s no comparison between us.\u201d \u2014 Victor Wembanyama, when asked if he saw a rivalry between him and OKC\u2019s Chet Holmgren.<\/p>\n 1. Nikola Joki\u0107, Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking<\/a>: No. 1 \u2194\ufe0f His case: Let the record reflect that, despite coming up short, Joki\u0107 made the right basketball play the other night when he found a wide-open Peyton Watson in the corner for a game-winning shot attempt<\/a>, rather than force a short jumper in the paint surrounded by three Dallas defenders.<\/p>\n The record also shows the Nuggets are shorthanded right now; no Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson or Christian Braun, three crucial starters. Therefore, it\u2019ll be more heavy lifting for Joki\u0107, and he\u2019s certainly capable of making his remaining teammates better, as evidenced by his dominance on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking<\/a>: No. 2 \u2194\ufe0f His case: The good news is Shai is still enjoying a high-level season, firmly among the league\u2019s top scorers and doing it efficiently overall once again, much like last season.<\/p>\n That said, with OKC suddenly looking mortal \u2014 at least whenever it\u2019s Thunder vs. Spurs \u2014 Shai no longer has the team dominance on his side, as OKC\u2019s cushion in the West is suddenly thin, just 2 1\/2 up on the Spurs, who have beaten him three times. Shai shot 7-19 on Christmas against the Spurs, his least impressive outing of the season.<\/p>\n 3. Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking<\/a>: No. 3 \u2194\ufe0f His case: Luka remains the NBA scoring leader despite an uneven last few weeks when he missed a game to injury, then returned on Christmas, only to lose big to the Rockets.<\/p>\n Overall, his season remains solid; Luka is nearly averaging a triple-double and doing it efficiently. He has an interesting upcoming game against Cade Cunningham and the East-leading Detroit Pistons, a solid measuring stick for him.<\/p>\n 4. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking<\/a>: No. 4 \u2194\ufe0f His case: He scored 20 of his 34 points in the second half to fortify the Knicks\u2019 Christmas Day comeback from 17 points down against Cleveland. Once again, Brunson demonstrated how reliable he is in these situations, when the Knicks need a clever and clutch player who rarely makes mistakes or is the reason for his team coming up short.<\/p>\n And the game before, he had 47 points and no turnovers against Miami. Over the last month, only a handful of players have impacted games as good or better than Brunson, who keeps proving he belongs among the top-five on the ladder.<\/p>\n 5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking<\/a>: No. 5 \u2194\ufe0f His case: The Pistons have won seven of eight, the lone loss coming in overtime, and Cunningham was his usual steady self during that stretch.<\/p>\n The only issue is his turnovers have increased; he had nine against the Kings and five the game before against the Blazers. Still, the Pistons continue to lead the East despite the threat of the NBA Cup-winning Knicks and Brunson. Cunningham\u2019s status as a top-five ladder player seems safe as long as the Pistons maintain the top spot.<\/p>\n The next 5:<\/p>\n 6. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs And five more (listed alphabetically): Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors; Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks; Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers; Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at\u00a0spowell@nba.com<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on\u00a0X<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Season stats<\/a>: 28.9 points, 12 rebounds, 10.9 assists.<\/p>\n
Season stats<\/a>: 32.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists.<\/p>\n
Season stats<\/a>: 34 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.8 assists.<\/p>\n
Season stats<\/a>: 29.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists.<\/p>\n
Season stats<\/a>: 26.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 9.4 assists.<\/p>\n
7. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
8. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
9. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
10. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets<\/p>\n