David Adelman Has High Praise for Nikola Jokic's Historic Game

The Denver Nuggets picked up a huge overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to finish off the NBA's Christmas slate, as three-time MVP Nikola Jokic put together one of the best statistical performances the league has ever seen.

Jokic finished the win with 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists on 15-21 shooting from the field, 4-6 from deep, and 22-23 from the free-throw line. Jokic recorded the first 55/15/15 game in NBA history, while also breaking the league record for most points (18) in an overtime period.

NIKOLA JOKIĆ WITH VIDEO GAME STATS ON CHRISTMAS DAY 🤯

🃏 56 PTS
🃏 16 REB
🃏 15 AST
🃏 2 BLK
🃏 4 3PM

THE FIRST 55/15/15 GAME IN NBA HISTORY 🚨 pic.twitter.com/8LPXlFWO6V
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2025

After the game, Nuggets head coach David Adelman praised Jokic for always making the "right play," regardless of how he is playing.

"He still made the right play all the time, even though it's 56 [points], 16 [rebounds] and 15 [assists]," Adelman said. "...When you do that, I just think your efficiency just stays where it's at because in your mind, you're playing with the right flow, you're making the right play each time. [I'm] just proud of the way he played and his whole approach to the game.

"I'll keep saying it, just don't get tired of this. It's the best player in the world, it's just bottom line and what he does nightly is just important to the game of basketball, it's good for sports, it's good for his head coach."

Nikola Jokic is "the best player in the world"

When Jokic has one of the best performances the league has ever seen, it is hard to argue against the "best player in the world" claim that Adelman always makes.

This season, Jokic is averaging 29.8 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game, shooting 60.9% from the field, 44.0% from three-point range, and 85.1% from the charity stripe. While Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having another incredible season, it will be hard to deny Jokic from his fourth MVP award of his career.

When the Nuggets fell behind by nine points with three minutes left in overtime, it seemed like everything was working against them. Jokic did what he could to pull them out of the gutter, and it was simply a performance unlike anything the NBA has ever seen before. The Serbian center deserves all the praise.

Nikola Jokic is "the best player in the world"

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