Nikola Jokic tied his career with 47 points, and the Denver Nuggets quickly started to beat a 128-117 Utah Jazz on Sunday, which saw their 11-win series collapse.
Jokic hit 17 of 26 shots on the field, made the four triples and nine of the 10 free throws, in addition to contributing 12 rebounds and five assists. He scored 33 points in the first half.
Will Barton added 18 points, and Jamal Murray had 16 to help the Nuggets to their sixth win in seven games.
Utah has lost for the first time since falling on Jan. 6 in New York. Bojan Bogdanovic led Jazz’s attack with 29 points, and Donovan Mitchell contributed 13 in 31 minutes, after missing two games while following the concussion protocol.
Denver hit all eight 3-pointers and hit 80% of its goals in the first quarter. The Nuggets kept pace in the second, making 13 of 24 shots on the field and finishing with 15 triples on 17 attempts in the first half to take a 79-54 lead at the break.
The Nuggets grew 86-58, with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter, before a series in Utah. Jazz made eight triples and outscored Denver by 18 points to get closer to 99-91.
However, JaMychal Green scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, with the Nuggets taking a 20-point lead. Jokic equalized the big points of his career with a shot with 2:05 minutes left.
CLIPPERS 129
BICYCLES 115
(AP) New York
Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers recorded the most points this season against the best defense in the NBA in Sunday’s 129-115 victory over the New York Knicks.
It was the Clippers’ 10th win in 11 games.
The Clippers destroyed the team that allows the fewest points in the NBA.
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Other markers.
Reggie Jackson had 18 points, and Paul George had 17 for the Clippers, who hit 17 triples and 54% of their hits on the field against a Knicks leader in the league in this category. Los Angeles was 16-5 years old.
Julius Randle had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Rookie Immanuel Quickley added 25 points and RJ Barrett 23, but offense was not the issue.