Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, is congratulated after making a 3-point basket from 75 feet away as time ran out in the third quarter by forward Peyton Watson in an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 22 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists for his fifth straight triple-double, and the host Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Sacramento Kings 132-123 in the NBA on Thursday night.
Jokic, who was voted an All-Star starter Thursday, has secured each triple-double during his current streak before the end of the third quarter. He is the first player since 1996-97 to have five straight triple-doubles before the fourth quarter, and 14 of his NBA-leading 20 have come in that fashion.
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READ: NBA: Nikola Jokic posts triple-double, Nuggets steamroll Magic
Christian Braun had 21 points, Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 and Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray contributed 18 points each for Denver, which has won four straight.
Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 19 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 and De’Aaron Fox finished with 17 points for Sacramento, which is now 10-3 under interim head coach Doug Christie.
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The game appeared won when Jokic ended the third quarter with a one-handed, 66-foot heave that gave the Nuggets a 25-point lead, but the Kings opened the fourth with 14 straight points to close within 110-99.
Sacramento got as close as 126-121 on Doug McDermott’s 3-pointer with 48.2 seconds left, but Jokic hit four free throws down the stretch and Braun had a running dunk to hold off the Kings.
McDermott, who didn’t play the first three quarters, scored 15 points and was 5-for-7 from beyond the arc to spark the late rally.
The game was tied midway through the first quarter until Denver built a 40-31 lead entering the second. The Nuggets used an 8-2 run to go ahead 54-38 and carried a 74-52 advantage into halftime.
Sacramento started the second half on a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to 77-64 before Denver steadied itself again. Jokic hit two jumpers and fed Porter for a dunk that extended the lead to 91-73.
The Nuggets ended the third quarter with a 14-5 run, capped by Jokic’s three-quarter-court heave, to lead 110-85. –Field Level Media
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