Apr 9, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) pokes the ball away from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
A day removed from the surprise firing of coach Michael Malone, the Denver Nuggets pulled out of a four-game losing streak with a 124-116 road win over the Sacramento Kings in the NBA on Wednesday.
Denver (48-32), playing its first game under interim coach David Adelman, led almost the entire way in a game crucial for the Nuggets’ postseason positioning. The preceding losing streak dropped the Nuggets from third place in the Western Conference into a four-team cluster of teams that all went into the Wednesday slate with identical 47-32 records.
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The Nuggets are now tied for fourth with the Los Angeles Clippers (48-32), a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers (49-31) and just in front of the Memphis Grizzlies (47-32) and the Golden State Warriors (47-33).
Nikola Jokic furthered his pursuit of becoming just the third player ever to average a triple-double for a season, posting 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists vs. Sacramento (39-41).
Denver Nuggets Head Coach David Adelman, right, reacts after Sacramento Kings score during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Sacramento, California. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)
Although it was a muted scoring performance for the 30-point-per-game-averaging Jokic, who shot 5-for-12 from the floor, he came up clutch late, muscling through a double-team to make a contested floater.
Jokic then found Jalen Pickett on Denver’s next trip down the floor for a basket, helping the Nuggets answer a late Kings rally effort.
READ: NBA: Nuggets hope to snap out of funk with playoffs looming
Sacramento trailed by as many as 16 points but battled back to pull within four with four minutes remaining. Zach LaVine, who scored a game-high 27 points, keyed the Kings’ push.
LaVine shot 4-for-8 from 3-point range and teammate Keon Ellis knocked down 6 of 11 from beyond the arc on the way to 20 points. That duo and DeMar DeRozan (22 points) gave Sacramento a chance down the stretch.
Denver’s clutch buckets were too much for the Kings to overcome, however. Michael Porter Jr. hit a 3-pointer under duress as the shot clock was winding down to bump the Nuggets’ lead back to seven with 3:41 to go.
The triple was part of a 21-point game for Porter.
Pickett added another crunch-time score, a 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining for a 12-point lead. Pickett shot 5-for-7 from outside on the way to 18 points — the lowest point total from any of Denver’s starting five.
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Christian Braun finished with a team-high 25 points, 16 of which came in the first half. Aaron Gordon scored 21 points, with 10 coming in the first quarter. –Field Level Media
