Jokić posts 27-12-16 to keep Nuggets alive, ties Westbrook for most career triple-doubles when playoffs are included

Nikola Jokić kept Denver’s season alive Monday night while reaching a notable milestone.

The three-time NBA MVP finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series at Ball Arena in Denver. The triple-double — also including two blocks — was the 221st of Jokić’s career across the regular season and playoffs, tying Russell Westbrook for the most in NBA history in that combined category.

Denver’s win staved off elimination and cut Minnesota’s series lead to 3-2. Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, in Minneapolis. Jokić shot 9 of 15 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line in 37 minutes, 31 seconds as the Nuggets extended the series.

Denver got scoring help throughout the lineup. Jamal Murray added 24 points, Spencer Jones scored 20 and Cam Johnson had 18 as the Nuggets capitalized on Minnesota mistakes and moved the ball effectively. According to the Denver Gazette, the Timberwolves committed 25 turnovers, which Denver turned into 35 points. The Nuggets also finished with a 35-26 edge in assists and led by as many as 22 after the third quarter.

The milestone attached to Jokić’s performance comes with an important distinction. The 221 triple-doubles cited by the NBA and StatMuse combine regular-season and playoff games. It is not the regular-season record by itself. Westbrook still holds the NBA’s regular-season-only career lead on the league’s historical leaderboard.

That clarification matters because the most commonly referenced triple-double rankings usually cover regular-season games alone. Jokić, however, matched Westbrook when playoff production is added to the total, doing so in a game Denver had to win to keep its season going.

Minnesota still has the series edge despite the loss, but Denver’s Game 5 performance gave it another chance after controlling long stretches of Monday’s game. The Nuggets’ offensive flow and Minnesota’s turnover problems were decisive, and Jokić again sat at the center of nearly everything Denver did.

The Timberwolves were also short-handed. The Denver Gazette reported that Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo were expected to miss the rest of the series, and Naz Reid briefly exited Game 5 with an ankle issue.