Nikola Jokic became the first NBA player with at least 10 triple-doubles in seven straight seasons as the Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 124-101 on Thursday night for their third consecutive win.
Jokic had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his 115th career triple-double during the regular season. Denver also was bolstered by the return of Jamal Murray, who missed Tuesday’s game at Chicago with ankle soreness. He scored 16 points, and Peyton Watson added 18 for the defending champion Nuggets.
“Hey, with Nikola, life becomes a lot easier,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “He’s just a heck of a player – 26 points, 10 assists, 15 boards, getting to the foul line and doing it in an efficient manner. But what I was probably most pleased about was Nikola’s defense. I wanted to be aggressive. I want to be at a level to be disruptive and I think Nikola set the tone with that tonight.”
Denver, which improved to 10-1 at home, was especially tough on Brooklyn´s 3-point shooters. The Nuggets held the Nets to 26.7% from beyond the arc (8 of 30).
“Our defense was amazing,” Jokic said.
“I think defense won the game for us. It was good to have a win like that.”
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Playing the second of back-to-back games on the road, the Nets were missing Dennis Smith Jr., who did not make the trip while continuing to recover from an upper-back injury. They were led by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 17 points, with Cam Thomas adding 13.
Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said the Nets were playing “a team that was rested and ready for us. It was a tough back-to-back, the emotional and mental part of it. We just didn’t have it tonight.”
The Nuggets led by 13 points at the half then scored 38 points in the third quarter, with Jokic capping the run with a drive layup in the final seconds of play. They had a 90-67 lead going into the fourth quarter, and Christian Braun’s breakaway dunk halfway through the frame gave them a 103-78 lead.
Denver led by double digits for the majority of the last quarter while using its reserves.
The Nuggets led 52-39 at the half after Murray scored 14 points, their lowest halftime point total of the year.
