Nuggets blow past Hawks in Aaron Gordon’s debut
FILE – Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets in the first quarter at Ball Arena on March 17, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
JaMychal Green scored a season-high 20 points, Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-102 on Sunday night.
Jamal Murray added 17 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Will Barton scored 12 for Denver.
20 PTS (season-high) | 7 REB @Jmyke1 went to work 😤 #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/kxqKrAwWR6
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 29, 2021
Aaron Gordon got the start and finished with 13 points in his Nuggets debut. Gordon was acquired from Orlando on Thursday along with Gary Clark for Gary Harris and R.J. Hampton.
🎥 | 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 for @Double0AG #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/FrMwaFfTCm
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 29, 2021
Trae Young had 21 points, seven assists and seven turnovers, Danilo Gallinari scored 14 points, John Collins added 11 and Clint Capela finished with 10 for Atlanta, which lost for just the third time in its last 12 games.
The Hawks were 6-for-9 on 3-pointers in the first quarter to hold a four-point lead after 12 minutes. They were up 49-45 midway through the second before Denver made a run to close the half.
Gordon and Jokic each hit two buckets, Porter made another and then fed Gordon for a 3-pointer during a 13-0 run, and the Nuggets took a 65-55 lead into intermission.
They kept up the surge at the start of the second half. The teams traded baskets to start, Porter was fouled on a corner 3-pointer and made the free throw and Murray scored the next six points to put Denver ahead by 20.
Young hit two long 3-pointers, fed Capela for a dunk and then scored on a layup during a 10-3 run that got Atlanta within 80-67. The Nuggets responded, going ahead 89-71, and after the Hawks got within 14 Denver closed the third with an 8-4 run to lead by 18 heading into the fourth.
The Nuggets continued to build on the lead at the start of the final period. Green made three free throws and hit his third 3-pointer of the night to make it 105-80 with nine minutes left.
The teams put in reserves midway through the fourth and Denver closed it out.
