Nikola Jokic on Monday grabbed a 35-point triple-double as the Denver Nuggets staged a dramatic second-half fightback to defeat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 125-119.
Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic produced a towering display to drag Denver back into contention after the NBA champions trailed by 22 points in the second quarter.
A fired-up Toronto looked poised to score a notable upset after starting strong to open up a double-digit advantage, but Serbian star Jokic seized control of the game in the third quarter, scoring 19 points as Denver outscored Toronto 42-30 to trim the visitors’ lead to five points heading into the fourth.
Photo: Ken Blaze-USA Today
Denver’s domination continued into the fourth and they took the lead midway through the final frame when Jamal Murray’s layup put them 108-107 ahead.
Denver outscored Toronto 32-21 in the fourth quarter to close out the win.
“In the first half they scored a lot and we didn’t play any defense,” said Jokic after completing 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.”
Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA Today
“We were just fighting,” he said. “The whole crew showed their 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.
R.J. Barrett led Toronto’s scorers with 26 points, while Kelly Olynyk chipped in with 24.
In Cleveland, Kevin Durant finished with 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Phoenix Suns overturned a 19-point deficit to down the Cavaliers 117-111.
Devin Booker added 27 points for Phoenix, while Bradley Beal weighed in with 24 to give the Suns a battling victory on the road.
Darius Garland led Cleveland’s scoring with 30 points.
Cleveland had surged into a big early lead after a 41-point first quarter, extending their advantage to 63-44 with just under five minutes remaining in the second, but Phoenix roared back to outscore the Cavs 19-7 in the final minutes of the half to close the gap to within seven points.
Phoenix kept up that momentum in the third period, outscoring the Cavs 34-21 to take the lead and then holding on down the stretch to close out the victory.
In San Antonio, the Golden State Warriors shook off a slow start to take down the Spurs 112-102, while in Chicago, Luka Doncic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds to claim his 17th triple-double of the season as the Dallas Mavericks cruised past the Bulls 127-92.
Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-97 and the Portland Trail Blazers were beaten 121-99 by the Boston Celtics.
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