Jokic’s 33‑15‑12 Night
Nikola Jokić put up a 33‑15‑12 triple‑double to lead Denver past Utah 135–129 in Friday’s game, anchoring a late rally and reminding you why he’s a nightly matchup problem. ( )
It was Jokic’s fourth straight triple‑double and his 31st of the season, a stretch that keeps him atop the NBA triple‑double leaderboard. (africa.espn.com) Jamal Murray finished with 31 points in Denver’s comeback after scoring a season‑high 53 just two nights earlier. (africa.espn.com) Cameron Johnson had 12 points and buried a go‑ahead 3‑pointer with 46 seconds remaining, and he and Murray combined for four triples in the final 2:20. (africa.espn.com) Denver erased a 13‑point fourth‑quarter deficit after Utah had led by as many as 14 late in the third quarter. (africa.espn.com) Jokic sparked the comeback with a turnaround in the final stretch and hit a buzzer‑beating 39‑footer at the end of the third that bounced twice on the rim before dropping. (africa.espn.com) The Jazz were shorthanded — missing Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen — and have lost 26 of their last 29 games, a skid the team extended with this outing. (africa.espn.com) Denver’s win kept the Nuggets in fourth place in the Western Conference, one game ahead of Minnesota and a half‑game behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoff race. (africa.espn.com)
