In the Denver Nuggets’ 120-114 victory over Golden State on December 25, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic turned on a show. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks upset the Milwaukee Bucks to start the NBA’s Christmas schedule.

With 28 points from Murray and 18 free throws from two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic, the defending champion Nuggets extended their winning streak to five games despite Murray’s subpar shooting performance.

Jokic ended with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists to help the Nuggets win in a back-and-forth game between the last two NBA champions, despite only making four of his 12 field goals.

With 5 minutes and 16 seconds remaining, Jokic made a basket with his left hand to put the Nuggets ahead for good. With 34.2 seconds remaining, he scored a dunk to make the score 118–112 points.

The Warriors were on a five-game winning streak going into the match. However, their star player, Stephen Curry, had a disappointing performance, finishing with just four points in the first half and eighteen overall on seven of twenty-one shots.

He had four assists and went three for thirteen from three-point range.

Andrew Wiggins of Canada, who came off the bench to score a team-high 22 points, helped the Warriors stay in it. However, Jokic and Murray, who helped the Nuggets win their first championship last season, proved to be too strong in the closing minutes.