Los Angeles (AFP) – Nikola Jokic had a 35-point triple-double as the Denver Nuggets staged a dramatic second-half fightback to defeat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 125-119 on Monday.
Published on:
3 minutes
Jokic, a two-time Most Valuable Player, produced a commanding display to bring Denver back into contention after the NBA champions trailed by 22 points in the second quarter.
A red-hot Toronto looked set to score a notable upset after starting strong to open up a double-digit advantage.
But Serbian star Jokic took control of the game in the third, scoring 19 points as Denver outscored Toronto 42-30 to cut the visitors’ lead to five points heading into the fourth.
Denver’s dominance continued into the fourth quarter and they finally took the lead midway through the final quarter when Jamal Murray’s layup gave them a 108-107 lead.
Denver outscored Toronto 32-21 in the fourth quarter to close out the victory.
“In the first half they scored a lot and we didn’t play any defense,” Jokic said after recording his 21st triple-double of the season.
“We just needed to match and exceed their physicality and that’s how we turned the game to our advantage.
“We were just fighting. The whole team showed character today. We’re not quitters.”
Jokic led Denver’s scoring while point guard Murray added 26 points with 12 assists and five rebounds. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. finished with 19 points each.
RJ Barrett led Toronto’s scorers with 26 points, while Kelly Olynyk added 24.
Durant leads Suns past Cavs
In Cleveland, Kevin Durant finished with 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Phoenix Suns overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Cavaliers 117-111.
Devin Booker added 27 points for Phoenix while Bradley Beal added 24 to give the Suns a thrilling road victory.
Darius Garland led Cleveland’s scoring with 30 points.
Cleveland had taken a big lead after a 41-point first quarter, extending its advantage to 63-44 with just under five minutes left in the second.
But Phoenix came back strong to outscore the Cavs 19-7 in the final minutes of the half, narrowing the gap to seven points.
Phoenix carried that momentum into the third period, outscoring the Cavs 34-21 to take the lead, then held on until the end to close out the victory.
Phoenix improved to 38-27 to remain in sixth place in the Western Conference.
In San Antonio, the Golden State Warriors overcame a slow start to defeat the Spurs 112-102, two days after losing 126-113 to the Texan club.
San Antonio led by 11 points in the first quarter and held a 10-point lead entering the third.
But a scoring third quarter by Golden State – outscoring the Spurs 32-18 – swung the game in favor of the visitors.
With the Warriors missing the injured Stephen Curry, Jonathan Kuminga led their scoring with 22 points, while Klay Thompson added 21 and Chris Paul 19.
San Antonio’s French rookie Victor Wembanyama finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
In Chicago, Luka Doncic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds to earn his 17th triple-double of the season as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Bulls 127-92.
The tone was set in the first quarter when the Mavericks broke out to beat Chicago 44-16 to open a 28-point lead.
Derek Lively II had 22 points coming off the bench while Daniel Gafford added 20 and Kyrie Irving 14.
Dallas improved to 37-28 to sit in eighth place in the West standings. Chicago, ninth in the Eastern Conference, fell to 31-34.
© 2024 AFP