Nikola Jokic scored 35 points and made 16 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets survived a Minnesota Timberwolves comeback to win 115-112 in the NBA.
The Timberwolves erased an 18-point deficit in the space of 12 minutes to lead 84-82 in the third quarter.
Denver edged back in front in the fourth, before Anthony Edwards missed a late chance to force overtime when his attempted three-pointer hit the rim.
“You have to put teams away,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
“That’s something we really have to get better at.”
Malone said a late tactical change limited the impact of Timberwolves guard Edwards, who failed to add to his 30-point tally in the fourth quarter.
“We threw an extra body at him,” he said. “One guy trying to guard Anthony Edwards is a challenge for anyone in the NBA, so we started throwing bodies at him to get the ball out of his hands.”
Victory at Target Center in Minneapolis lifted NBA champions Denver into second in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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