Nikola Jokic has celebrated a win in the battle of MVP contenders with Joel Embiid as the Denver Nuggets edged the Philadelphia 76ers while fellow big man Karl Anthony Towns scored a franchise record 60 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to victory.

Jokic had 22 points and 13 rebounds as Denver got past Embiid and the 76ers 114-110 in a battle of MVP contenders.

Embiid finished with 34 points and took a scary fall that had the Sixers holding their breath.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Jeff Green clobbered Embiid on a drive to the basket late in the game and the All-Star centre landed on his tailbone.

Embiid grabbed at his back but walked off the court on his own power.

Green received a flagrant foul and Embiid went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line to cut Denver's lead to 107-106.

Denver rookie Bones Hyland, who had 21 points, then stole the show, burying his fourth 3 of the fourth quarter for a 110-108 lead that the Nuggets held on to.

Jokic won the MVP last season and Embiid was runner-up, and the franchise stars are again considered the frontrunners this season.

Minnesota defeated the San Antonio Spurs 149-139 in a high-scoring affair highlighted by Town's haul.

His career-high 60 points surpasses his previous best of 56 and is the most by a player in the NBA this season.

Towns also grabbed 17 rebounds and the three-point champion on All-Star weekend proved that was no fluke shooting 7-of-11 from beyond the arc against the Spurs.

In other action, rookie of the year favourite Evan Mobley scored a season-high 30 points and Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles 120-111 in overtime.

The Atlanta Hawks overcame the Portland Trail Blazers 122-113 with Trae Young scoring 21 of his 46 points in the third period as the victors rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit.

With Australian rookie Josh Giddey still sidelined by a hip injury the Oklahoma City Thunder lost for a sixth consecutive game, going down 134-116 to the Charlotte Hornets.