Nikola Jokic stars again as Denver Nuggets down Minnesota Timberwolves, Luka Doncic nets 18th triple-double of season

Tuesday night in the NBA saw the Denver Nuggets come out on top in their Western Conference showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic once again influential.

Jokic recorded 35 points with 16 rebounds as he helped his side stave off a stirring comeback from the Timberwolves, for whom Anthony Edwards - fresh off his dunk-of-the-year candidate the previous night - scored 30 points on the night with eight rebounds and eight assists.

The 115-112 victory took reigning NBA champions Nuggets to 48-21 for the season, whilst also lifting them to second in the WC.

Their coach Michael Malone admitted that nullifying Edwards had been front and centre of their plans.

"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."

The Timberwolves actually led 84-82 in the third quarter but Malone's men regrouped to regain their momentum - something their coach referenced afterwards.

"I think we've talked about that [momentum] so much as of late, because it is important," he said.

"You can have an awful quarter but if you can find a way to salvage that last minute, where you go on a semi, small run to give you a little bit of life, to give you a little bit of momentum.

"And that carried over. The Michael Porter minutes, the run that he had, was just outstanding. He knocked down big, big shots.

"Reggie [Jackson] made some big plays, 'Joker' [Jokic] obviously playing through him. So I think closing out that third quarter on that small run was definitely impactful."

Elsewhere, Luka Doncic made his 18th triple-double of an increasingly impressive campaign, as he helped lead his side past the San Antonio Spurs 113-107.

Victor Wembanyama could only register twelve points as the Spurs struggled once more, with Kyrie Irving's 28 points for the Mavericks proving crucial.

The win moved the Mavs into a virtual tie with the No. 6 Sacramento Kings.

One of the performances of the night came in Washington as Jalen Green sunk 42 points as the Houston Rockets saw off the Wizards 137-114, tying his career-high haul.

Amen Thompson chipped in with 25 points as the Rockets closed the gap to the Golden State Warriors, who are one place above them in the WC.

The New Orleans Pelicans were also victorious on the road, beating the Brooklyn Nets 104-91, while the Orlando Magic downed the Charlotte Hornets 112-92.

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