LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Nikola Jokic scored 35 points as the Denver Nuggets held off a second-half rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves to record a 115-112 victory over their Western Conference rivals on Tuesday.

Jokic shepherded Denver over the line after Minnesota erased an 18-point second-quarter deficit to seriously rattle the reigning NBA champions.

Minnesota, missing the injured Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, had a last-gasp attempt to force overtime only for Anthony Edwards' three-point attempt to bounce off the rim.

Denver moved into second place in the Western Conference with a 48-21 record.

Oklahoma City Thunder lead the standings at 47-20 while Minnesota remains firmly in the hunt in third at 47-22.

The Timberwolves came roaring back into the game after a third-quarter shooting spree that saw them outscore Denver, 29-17, thanks to 14 points from Edwards, who finished with 30 on the night.

But defensive adjustments from Denver slowed Edwards' scoring rate in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets held on.

"We threw an extra body at him," Denver coach Michael Malone said of his fourth-quarter tactical tweak to stymie Edwards.

"One guy trying to guard Anthony Edwards is a challenge for anyone in the NBA so we started throwing bodies at him to get the ball out of his hands."