Jokic was hurt late in the first half in an accidental coming together with team-mate Spencer Jones.

Jones stepped on the foot of Jokic who immediately collapsed to the ground clutching his knee.

The 30-year-old will have an MRI scan on Tuesday to determine the seriousness of the problem.

“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” said Nuggets head coach David Adelman.

“This is part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt, it’s gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is. We’ll find out more tomorrow.

“We’ll move on as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned just about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”

Jokic, who leads the NBA season in rebounds and assists, had 21 points and eight assists in the game before suffering the injury.

The Serb hit 56 points, recorded 16 rebounds and 15 assists – becoming the first player in NBA history to hit at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a triple-double.

Three-time MVP Jokic hit 18 of his 56 points in overtime, breaking Curry’s record of 17 overtime points from 2016.

The Timberwolves took the game in Denver to overtime after clawing back a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes of the game.

Anthony Edwards top-scored for the Timberwolves with 44 points, including the game-tying three that took the game to overtime.

But the 24-year-old was ejected in the extra period for arguing over foul calls as the Nuggets clamed the win.

The Nuggets are third in the Western Conference, with the Timberwolves in fifth.

Denver headed into Thursday’s match 3-2 down in the series after squandering late leads in games five and six, but fought back after half-time to earn a trip to Oklahoma City for Game seven on Sunday, 18 May at 14:30 local time (20:30 BST).

“To win that [fourth] quarter, after what’s happened the last two games, says a lot of our guys and the fact that they can bounce back from anything – I keep saying that,” said Denver interim coach David Adelman. “We just keep finding our way.”

Jamal Murray shook off an illness to produce 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Christian Braun added 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Julian Strawther came off the bench to score 15 points, his postseason career high.

The Nuggets needed a seventh game to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points for the Thunder, who ended the regular season top of the Western Conference with a 68-14 record.

Chet Holmgren wound up with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace scored 10 points apiece.

The Minnesota Timberwolves await either Denver or Oklahoma City in the Western Conference final – last year they defeated the Nuggets in game seven of the Western Conference semi-finals.

The Serb centre will average double digits for points, rebounds and assists after claiming his 34th triple-double of the season.

He scored 26 points, 12 assists and 26 rebounds in the Nuggets’ 117-109 victory, which keeps them in a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with one game of the regular season remaining.

Elsewhere, Luka Doncic scored 39 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers secure third place in the Western Conference with a 140-109 victory at home to the Houston Rockets.

Only two men had previously finished a regular season in the NBA with a triple-double average – Jokic’s Denver team-mate Russell Westbrook, who did so three times with Oklahoma City and once with the Washington Wizards, and Oscar Robertson, who did it in the 1961-62 season for Cincinnati.

Jokic’s 12 assists against the Grizzlies means he is guaranteed to finish the season with an assist average of more than 10 for the first time in his career.

He is also averaging in double digits for rebounds and needs 47 points in Denver’s final game of the regular season to push his points average above 30, which would also be a career best.

The 30-year-old has already been named most valuable player (MVP) three times in the NBA’s regular season, and is one of the top candidates again this year, along with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“If he doesn’t win the MVP, it’s the greatest season of all time not to win the MVP,” said the Nuggets’ interim coach David Adelman.

Jokic has 164 regular-season triple-doubles in his career, the second-highest tally in NBA history behind Westbrook’s 203.

He will bid to extend that tally in Denver’s final game of the regular season at home to the Houston Rockets on Sunday as the Nuggets aim to seal the fourth-place finish they need to earn home-court advantage in the play-offs.

Doncic stars for Lakers & James injury scare

The Lakers already know they will have home-court advantage in the play-offs after securing third place in the Western Conference with their victory against second seeds Houston.

It stretched their record for the season to 50 wins and 31 defeats.

Doncic continued his fine run of form, leading the way with 39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while LeBron James added 14 points and eight assists.

James, who has been troubled by a groin injury, grimaced in pain in the third quarter and sat out the remainder of the game with tape on his left hip.

Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors kept alive their hopes of a fourth-placed finish in the Western Conference with a 103-86 victory against the Portland Traliblazers that was powered by 24 points and seven assists from Jimmy Butler III.

The Warriors, who play their final game of the regular season at home to the Los Angeles Clippers, are in sixth place on 48 wins and 33 defeats, one win behind the Clippers and the Nuggets, who are tied for fourth.

Oklahoma City have already secured top spot in the Western Conference.

The Serb, a three-time MVP, claimed 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 140-139 overtime defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.

The previous record was held by Nuggets team-mate Russell Westbrook, who scored 57 points and made 13 rebounds and 11 assists for Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017.

Westbrook, who joined the Nuggets in 2024, missed a lay-up with 10 seconds remaining in overtime with the Nuggets leading 139-138.

He then fouled Nickeil Alexander-Walker in trying to block a three-point attempt with 0.1 seconds on the clock.

Alexander-Walker made two of the three free throws to seal a dramatic Timberwolves victory.

They were without Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo, who were serving one-match bans for their part in a brawl with the Detroit Pistons this week.

The Timberwolves are seventh in the Western Conference and the Nuggets third.

Curry shines for Warriors

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry hit 12 three-pointers in a 52-point haul as the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 134-125 at FedEx Forum.

“The guy’s 37 years old – it’s incredible,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

“I can’t believe he’s still doing this at this age. But he’s put the work in and he’s still got it.

“Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning, the skill, the audacity, the belief. It’s incredible to watch Steph at work.”

Victory lifted the Warriors above the Grizzlies and into fifth in the Western Conference.

The 25-year-old top scored for the Nuggets with 35 points, 22 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists.

Jokic has joined Philadelphia 76ers legend Wilt Chamberlain – a four-time Most Valuable Player – as the second player in NBA history to record 35 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists in a single game.

But it was Jokic’s three-pointer at the end of the third quarter that will be remembered longest.

With 1.7 seconds left on the clock and his side 110-85 ahead, Jokic took possession and let fly from 66ft. He barely celebrated as his team-mates mobbed him when the ball found the bucket.

“When you play, you want to make every shot,” said Jokic.

“I took it to make it and I did make it. It’s a lucky shot, not really a high-percentage shot, but I took it to make it. It’s three points. It’s going to help us.”

Lakers too good for Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated defending champions the Boston Celtics in an emphatic 117-96 win.

Anthony Davis top scored for the Lakers with 24 points while LeBron James finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

The Lakers had a 28-point lead at one point in the fourth quarter but despite easing off, they restricted Jayson Tatum to 16 points.

Mavericks upset Thunder

The Oklahoma Thunder lost for just the third time this season as the Dallas Mavericks caused a 121-115 upset.

The Thunder, who lead the Western Conference, were below their best as Spencer Dinwiddie hit 28 points and Kyrie Irving scored 24.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who hit a career-best 54 points against the Jazz on Thursday, came up with 31 points for the Thunder.

NBA results

Denver Nuggets 132-123 Sacramento Kings

LA Lakers 117-96 Boston Celtics

Toronto Raptors 122-119 Atlanta Hawks

Dallas Mavericks 121-115 Oklahoma Thunder

Miami Heat 96-125 Milwaukee Bucks

Chicago Bulls 106-131 Golden State Warriors

Washington Wizards 93-110 La Clippers

San Antonio Spurs 140-110 Pacers

Portland Trail Blazers 101-79 Orlando Magic

The three-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) hit his fourth successive triple-double – and his 13th of the season – as the Nuggets won a third game in a row.

Jokic scored 27 points and made 13 rebounds and 10 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter at Ball Arena in Denver.

He told TNT: “We’re not where we’re supposed to be, but we’re trying to find the rhythm.”

The Nuggets are fourth in the Western Conference and the 76ers 11th in the East.

LeBron James became only the second player aged 40 or older to record a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Washington Wizards 111-88.

The 40-year-old finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists at Crypto.com Arena in LA.

Karl Malone is the only other player over 40 to claim a triple-double, for the Lakers in 2003.

The Lakers are sixth in the Western Conference and the Wizards bottom of the East.

Jokic, who recorded a career-high 56 points in his side’s loss to Washington on Saturday, dominated against the Hawks with 14 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

The Hawks had come into the game on a six-game winning streak but were blown away with Michael Porter Jr adding 26 points for the Nuggets and Christian Braun 17.

And it was Serbian star Jokic’s performance that earned extra praise from coach Michael Malone.

“I can’t say I’m surprised because I’ve been spoiled by having the best seat in the house to watch this guy for 10 years, to watch him do it night-in, night-out,” Malone said.

“I feel privileged to have the chance to coach him. I never take it for granted.”

Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors fought back from a 12-point deficit early in the third quarter to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-106.

Stephen Curry had 30 points and eight assists for the Warriors, including a three-point buzzer-beater from near the halfway line at the end of the third that put them 93-90 ahead.

For the San Antonio Spurs veteran Chris Paul claimed his 12,092th career assist in the second quarter of his side’s 121-116 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans to move ahead of Jason Kidd in the all-time standings.

Paul, who now has 12,099 assists, only trails John Stockton, the Utah Jazz legend having 15,806 in the category.

The Los Angeles Lakers, without LeBron James, who has a foot injury, got the better of the Portland Trail Blazers 107-98.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers scoring with 30 points, with D’Angelo Russell adding 28 and Rui Hachimura 23.

And Joel Embiid marked his return to action by helping the Philadelphia 76ers to a 108-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

The 30-year-old Cameroon-born centre had 31 points and 12 rebounds after his seven-game absence because of a knee injury and personal reasons.

The Nuggets trailed by 22 points at one stage but rallied to win 125-119.

Serb Jokic produced a towering display, scoring 35 points to drag his side back into contention in the second half.

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics became the first NBA side to reach 50 wins for the season, recording a 121-99 victory at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic, 29, totted up his season’s 21st triple-double – when a players scores 10 or more points, assists and rebounds – to help lead the Nuggets to an unlikely win.

Along with his points haul, he added 17 rebounds and 12 assists.

Denver trailed by 22 points in the second quarter, but Jokic racked up 19 points in the third to trim the visitors’ lead to five points. Denver then outscored short-handed Toronto 32-21 in the fourth quarter to close out the win.

“We were just fighting,” said Denver centre Jokic. “The whole crew showed their character today. We’re not quitters.”

Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray added 26 points, with 12 assists and five rebounds, while RJ Barrett led Toronto’s scorers with 26 points.

Jaylen Brown weighed in with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Celtics as they continued to lead the way in the NBA with victory against the Trail Blazers, who lost for the 10th time in their past 11 home games.

Jayson Tatum added 26 points and eight assists and Sam Hauser scored a season-best 22 points off the bench for the Celtics, who logged their 13th victory in 15 games.

Meanwhile, Klay Thompson scored 21 points on his return to the starting line-up for the Golden State Warriors as they ran out 112-102 winners at the San Antonio Spurs. Jonathan Kuminga top-scored for the Warriors with 22 points, while Victor Wembanyama led scoring for the Spurs with 27 points after missing two games with an ankle injury.

Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal combined to score 88 points as the Phoenix Suns won 117-111 at Cleveland Cavaliers. Durant led the way with 37 points, while Booker added 27 and Beal 24.

The Detroit Pistons completed a season sweep against the Charlotte Hornets, winning their latest game 114-97, while Luka Doncic posted 27 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his seventh straight triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks won 127-92 at the Chicago Bulls.

The Nuggets trailed by 18 points with just under seven minutes remaining but ended the game with a 25-4 scoring run.

Jokic capped a 34-point night by shooting from just beyond midcourt with 1.3 seconds on the clock to secure the win.

Denver sit third in the Western Conference with the Warriors in 11th.

Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks recovered from back-to-back defeats courtesy of a 125-121 win against the San Antonio Spurs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo impressed with a game-high 44 points for the Bucks, also chipping in with 14 rebounds.

Milwaukee are second in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio, who lost a fourth successive game and have won just five of their 35 fixtures this campaign, are bottom of the West.

Nuggets players were presented with their championship rings before tip-off at the Ball Arena in Colorado and produced an impressive display.

Serbia’s Jokic finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists while team-mate Jamal Murray added 21 points.

LeBron James top-scored for the Lakers with 21 points.

In Tuesday’s other game, Devin Booker inspired the Phoenix Suns to a thrilling 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.

The 26-year-old scored 32 points and dished out eight assists, including a pass to Jusuf Nurkic who scored a layup with 10.3 seconds remaining to secure the win.

Former Warrior Kevin Durant scored 18 points for the Suns on his first game back in the Bay Area since he left Golden State in 2019.

Stephen Curry was one of six Warriors players to reach double figures, finishing with 27 points, but failed to score on 10 of his 14 three-point attempts.

Jokic scored 32 points, becoming the first player to record 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in the Finals.

Murray finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to complete his own triple-double in the final seconds.

The best-of-seven series resumes at the same venue, Kaseya Center in Miami, on Friday (01:30 BST Saturday).

Jokic and Murray are the first team-mates to post triple-doubles in the same Finals game, and the first to post 30-point triple-doubles in the same game at any stage of the season.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone described it as “by far their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together”.

“Nothing he does surprises me, ever,” Malone said of Jokic. “The guy has shown over and over again that he’s built for these moments.

“Jamal is a guy that thrives, lives and excels in the moment – never afraid of it. And you can’t say that for a lot of players.”

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and Bam Adebayo claimed 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Heat, who at one stage trailed by 21 in front of a crowd containing five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson, footballers Neymar and Paul Pogba and singer Shakira.

The Nuggets – beaten 111-108 in Denver on Sunday – have never won the NBA Championship, while the Heat are hoping to become the first eighth seeds to triumph.

Nikola Jokic was the standout player as the Nuggets centre picked up a triple-double – double figures in points, assists and rebounds.

Denver never looked like losing in front of their home crowd in their first finals game for 47 years.

It puts them 1-0 ahead of Heat in the best-of-seven series.

Jokic rose to the occasion, finishing with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, as Heat had no answer to the 28-year-old Serb.

“Right now, the most important thing is to win a game, and I’m trying to win a game in any possible way,” Jokic told ABC.

“I don’t need to shoot and I know I don’t need to score to affect the game, and I think I did a good job today. Everybody contributed.”

Jokic was assisted by Jamal Murray with 26 points, while Aaron Gordon added 16 and Michael Porter Jr 14.

“I think that’s the beauty of Nikola,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I learned a long time ago the defence tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it.

“One thing about Nikola is he takes great satisfaction in making plays for others. He really does. I think he takes more joy in that.

“I don’t think he cares if he scored 27 points or not. He cares that we’re up 1-0.”

For Heat, Bam Adebayo put in a strong showing as he picked up 26 points but had little help from his team-mates.

“They were in a pretty good rhythm, especially in that first half,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Nuggets.

“Our disposition, the efforts, the resolve in the second half was much better. But when you get to this level, it has to be complete games.”

The Nuggets overturned a 15-point half-time deficit to win 113-111.

Jokic, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, finished with 30 points.

The Nuggets will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the finals from 1-18 June.

The Heat lead the Eastern Conference 3-0 and can secure the series with a win in game four on Tuesday (01:30 BST Wednesday).

LeBron James had looked to be single-handedly keeping the Lakers’ season alive after scoring 31 points in a superb first-half display that left the 17-time NBA champions 73-58 ahead.

But Jokic led a resurgent Nuggets offense in the third quarter, scoring 13 points as the Western Conference top seeds outscored the Lakers 36-16 to turn the contest on its head.

A dramatic fourth-quarter finale saw Jokic put Denver two points ahead with a driving layup through heavy traffic with 51.7secs remaining.

With four seconds remaining, James had one last chance to tie the match and force overtime, but his attempted driving floater was blocked by Denver’s Aaron Gordon to leave the Nuggets celebrating a famous win.

“We don’t give up,” Jokic said. “I’ve been saying this for five years – when we were bad or when we were good – we don’t give up. And that’s what happened.

“They jumped on us the first half, they were better, more aggressive, scoring easily and didn’t miss.

“But in the second half we turned the page and everybody stepped up. It was a collective effort, it’s not just one guy.”

Although James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, their supporting cast once again failed to step up when it mattered, with a series of missed baskets in the fourth quarter allowing the Nuggets, one of 11 teams in the league who have never won the NBA championship, to hold on to clinch victory.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, who was appointed last year after they failed to reach the play-offs, said his team had paid the price for not making enough shots, praising Denver’s ruthlessness down the stretch.

“The sign of a great team is if you make any mistake, they’re going to make you pay for it,” Ham said. “And they did just that.

“This is year one. Losing sucks, but I think we can do something special here.”