The Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 138-130 in overtime (OT) at Ball Arena on Sunday to secure their eighth win in the past nine games.

Nikola Jokic again proved why he's the best big man on offense in today's NBA by dropping a triple-double of 46 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. What's more intimidating is that he also delivered three steals and four blocks.

The Nuggets trailed 94-84 after the first three quarters, partly because they shot 8-for-26 from the 3-point line. By contrast, the Pelicans drained 11 of their 24 attempts from downtown in the first three quarters, including a logo shot by Brandon Ingram. In fact, the Pelicans remained smoking hot to score 30 points in the fourth quarter.

Then the "Joker" began to pull some tricks out of his sleeves. Having taken no shots beyond the arc, Jokic shot 7-for-8 from the field and made all nine free throws to get 23 points, three rebounds and two assists in this quarter alone. Jonas Valanciunas committed three personal fouls and fouled out in the fourth quarter. Without the New Orleans rim protector on the court, Jokic could score in the Pelicans' paint as easily as having a picnic in his own backyard. 

The Pelicans began to trap Jokic at the cost of leaving other Nuggets open from the last minutes of the fourth quarter. However, they still watched the reigning NBA MVP score another seven points in OT.

Jokic became the first player in 25 seasons to score 30 points or more in the fourth quarter and OT while shooting 90 percent from the field. The last player with a similar feat was Kobe Bryant, who scored 33 points while shooting 84.6 percent from the field against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 16, 2007.

Jokic also became the second player in league history to record a triple-double with 45 points on 70 percent shooting. The first one was Wilt Chamberlain. This was also the 74th triple-double of Jokic's career and he's five away from surpassing Chamberlain to become the NBA leader in this category for centers.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said such a performance was "just another reason, example, exhibition of why Nikola's the MVP."

"My teammates were looking for me. I was making shots and being aggressive. Just a really good period," Jokic said.

Nets continue to struggle in the ditch

The Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 126-120 at TD Garden on Sunday for their third consecutive win.

Jayson Tatum scored 54 points for the Celtics, becoming the first player this season to have more than one 50-point game. It was the fourth 50-point game in his career, tying him with Larry Bird for the franchise record.

"As a competitor night in, night out, but especially games like this, those matchups when you're on one of the better teams in the league with two of the best guys, just as a competitor, these are the kinds of moments that as a kid, you dreamed about and looked forward to," Tatum said. "When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of it."

The Celtics still rank fifth in the Eastern Conference after Sunday's win, one game behind the Chicago Bulls and 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. So far, the competition in the East has been too close to tell who will enjoy home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, that won't be a problem for the Nets to worry about because they dropped to ninth in the East after their 17th loss in the past 20 games. Kevin Durant recorded 37 points, six rebounds and eight assists for Brooklyn, but his efforts were not even close to saving the team from drowning.

Kyrie Irving, who got 19 points and six assists for the Nets, was booed hard by home fans who still hold grudges for the soap opera he caused during his years in Boston.

"It's like a scorned girlfriend, asking for an explanation why I left but still wanting a text back," Irving said.

The problem is, those who left Irving (James Harden) or saw his departure (the Celtics) have been doing better than he is. More importantly, if the Nets can't make any changes for the better this season, home fans at the Barclays Center are likely to boo him as well when he watches, instead of plays, games there.

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Phoenix Suns 122-132 Milwaukee Bucks

Indiana Pacers 123-133 Washington Wizards

Memphis Grizzlies 112-123 Houston Rockets

Utah Jazz 116-103 Oklahoma City Thunder

Toronto Raptors 96-104 Cleveland Cavaliers

New York Knicks 116-93 Los Angeles Clippers