Nikola Jokic scored 48 points to guide the visiting Denver Nuggets to a 141-111 win over Atlanta on Sunday, ending the Hawks’ six-game winning streak.
Jokic went 17-for-29 from the field and added 14 rebounds and 8 assists. After scoring a career-high 56 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Jokic set the pace by scoring 13 points in the first quarter on Sunday, December 8 (Monday, December 9, Manila time), and he had 25 at halftime.
The Nuggets also got 26 points and 7 rebounds from Michael Porter Jr. and 17 points and 8 boards from Christian Braun. Denver has won four straight games against Atlanta.
Atlanta’s top scorers were De’Andre Hunter (20 points) and Dyson Daniels (18), with Daniels also grabbing 5 steals. Trae Young was limited to 15 points and scored only a point on four shots from the floor in the first half. Young was coming off a 31-point, 20-assist game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets ended a two-game losing streak and bounced back from a disappointing setback against Washington, a team that had lost 16 straight games. Unlike that contest, which saw the Nuggets trail by as many as 15 points, Denver jumped on the short-handed Hawks early and led 38-23 after the first quarter.
Atlanta rallied to cut Denver’s lead to 11 points in the second, doing most of the trimming when Jokic was out of the game. The Nuggets closed the first half strong as Jokic hit a three-pointer from one step inside half court with 1.1 seconds left for a 71-48 lead at the break.
Denver led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter and took a 106-84 lead into the fourth.
The Hawks faced a scare around the midpoint of the third quarter when Hunter was knocked to the floor by an elbow to the head. Hunter was taken to the locker room, examined by the medical staff and was able to return.
Atlanta played without second-leading scorer Jalen Johnson (right shoulder soreness) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (left quad contusion). – Rappler.com
