NBA: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets stave off Jazz | Inquirer Sports
NBA

NBA: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets stave off Jazz

/ 01:01 PM December 11, 2022

Nikola Jokic Denver nuggets NBA

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets catches a pass before scoring on a fast break in the first half during an NBA game at Pepsi Center on December 10, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Dustin Bradford/Getty Images/AFP

Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored 30 points, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the short-handed Utah Jazz 115-110 on Saturday night.

Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 15 points each, and Bones Hyland scored 11 for the Nuggets.

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Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 27 points, Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Beasley had 19 points each, Kelly Olynyk finished with 18 points and Walker Kessler had 10 for the Jazz.

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Utah was without Mike Conley (left leg), Lauri Markkanen (illness), Simone Fontecchio (left ankle sprain), and Jordan Clarkson was scratched from the lineup with a right hip contusion.

Despite the shortened bench the Jazz stayed close in the first half. They were within one on Olynyk’s layup with 2:13 left in the second quarter but the Nuggets closed out the half on a 10-2 run to lead 61-52 at intermission.

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The Nuggets were up 70-60 on Murray’s fadeaway jumper early in the third but Utah responded. Alexander-Walker had a three-point play, Beasley drained one from behind the arc and then scored on a finger roll to make it a two-point game.

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Denver stretched the lead to six but the Jazz rallied and took their first lead, 81-80, on Beasley’s 3-pointer with 3:37 left in the third quarter. The Nuggets took a 92-90 lead into the fourth.

Utah came out strong in the final period, going ahead 99-95 on Alexander-Walker’s pull-up jumper. Hyland hit another three and then fed DeAndre Jordan for an alley-oop to put Denver back in front.

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Horton-Tucker scored the next five points for the Jazz to give them a two-point lead but the Nuggets responded. Jokic scored on a putback, Jokic made three free throws and Gordon split a pair to make it 110-105.

Alexander-Walker hit a 3-pointer and Jerrod Vanderbilt dunked off a turnover to tie it. Jokic fed Bruce Brown for a dunk with 1:19 left, Horton-Tucker missed two shots in the final minute and Jokic split a pair of free throws to make it 113-110 with 9.6 seconds left.

Alexander-Walker missed a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left.

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TAGS: Denver Nuggets, NBA, Nikola Jokic

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