Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards tried using psychological warfare on Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic during a 142-138 overtime loss on Christmas Day.
Anthony Edwards Grabbed Nikola Jokic’s Hand
During overtime, Jokic went 10-for-11 shooting on his free throws, but the three-time NBA MVP wasn’t expecting Edwards to grab his hand on multiple occasions prior to his attempts while standing at the line.
Jokic immediately swung his elbows up in the air to get Edwards off of him on one attempt, then stared down a nearby official, hoping Edwards would be assessed a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Meanwhile, Edwards pretended nothing happened while Jokic spoke with the ref.
Anthony Edwards tries to disrupt Nikola Jokic’s preparation for the free throw in overtime, then acts like he didn’t do it pic.twitter.com/aMORAlpah5
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 26, 2025
Why tf Anthony Edwards tried to touch Jok’s hands 😂🤣 be serious pls pic.twitter.com/nlmrIHcZDw
— Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) December 26, 2025
Despite Edwards’ futile attempts to throw Jokic off his game, the 6-foot-11 big man scored a season-high 56 points and notched his 179th career triple-double by the third quarter, two shy of Oscar Robertson for the second most in NBA history.
Jokic also broke Stephen Curry’s record of 17 overtime points from 2016, making it the highest by any player in a single regular-season or playoff game.
Edwards Was Ejected In OT
As for Edwards, the three-time All-Star made good on his prediction for a memorable performance, leading Minnesota back from a 15-point deficit in the final 5½ minutes of regulation and hitting a clutch 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to force overtime at 115-all.
In the leadup to the game, Edwards told ESPN during a Christmas Day pregame interview: “I’m gonna have 30 points for sure. I might have 40. But it’s gonna be a night.”
Although Edwards led the Timberwolves with 44 points in the overtime thriller, the former No. 1 overall pick was ejected in the extra period for arguing foul calls.
It was a favorable matchup for Minnesota as the Nuggets were without three key players: Cameron Johnson (knee), Aaron Gordon (hamstring), and Christian Braun (ankle).
The Timberwolves (20-11) host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, while the Nuggets (22-8) visit the Orlando Magic on the same day. Minnesota trails Denver by 2½ games in the Western Conference standings.
