Nikola Jokic played another brilliant game in the Denver Nuggets’ victory over the Golden State Warriors by 119:103.
Denver is gradually finding its form towards the end of the season, managing to string together a third consecutive win after three straight losses. The game started better for the hosts, who capitalized on the Nuggets’ poor defense and scored a whopping 36 points in the first quarter, taking a six-point lead. Denver managed to regroup in the second quarter, equalizing before halftime.
In the second half, there was only one team on the court. Nikola Jokic took matters into his own hands in the final quarter, and the team overall played much better defense. This immediately reflected on the score, leading to a convincing 16-point victory. Specifically, in the final quarter, Denver allowed the opponent to score only 16 points.
The top performer for the winning team was Jokic, who scored 32 points, along with 16 assists and 16 rebounds. This marked his 123rd career triple-double, leaving him just 15 triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson, who ranks third on the NBA all-time list. Jamal Murray added 27 points. On the other side, Klay Thompson scored 23 points.
The Atlanta Hawks responded well after Trae Young’s injury, defeating the Orlando Magic convincingly with a score of 109-92.
The Hawks finally ended their losing streak, having lost their last three games. However, against Orlando, they played exceptionally well. Although the Magic controlled the game in the first half, the third quarter was crucial.
Atlanta scored 38 points while allowing only 19 to their opponents during this period. Orlando attempted to stage a comeback at the beginning of the final quarter, but the Hawks calmly thwarted that effort and secured their 25th victory.
Leading the winning team was Dejounte Murray with 25 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, while Jalen Johnson added 21 points and 10 rebounds. As for Orlando, Wendell Carter Jr. scored 18 points along with 10 rebounds.