Field Level Media
Jan 19, 2021
Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Paul Millsap added 13 points and a season-high 12 rebounds and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-101 on Tuesday night.
Monte Morris scored 15 points off the Denver bench. Will Barton scored 13 points, Gary Harris and PJ Dozier added 11 apiece and JaMychal Green had 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Nuggets outscored the Thunder 66-43 in the second and third quarters, then rested their starters in the fourth. Denver has alternated wins and losses over the past five games.
Luguentz Dort led Oklahoma City with 20 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14, Darius Bazley added 12 and Isaiah Roby had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who lost for the third time in four games.
Denver led by 13 early in the third quarter before pulling away. Millsap sank a 3-pointer, and after the teams exchanged hoops, Harris made a 3-pointer from the wing to put the Nuggets up 75-56. Two turnovers and a trio of buckets by Oklahoma City cut the deficit to 13 again, but Denver started to put the game away.
Morris, Barton and Millsap (twice) made short shots, Morris answered a 3-pointer by Roby with one of his own and Harris' dunk put the Nuggets ahead 88-67. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic traded two baskets each, Harris hit a long 3-pointer and Morris scored on a layup to help the Nuggets carry a 97-74 lead into the fourth quarter.
Green opened the final quarter with five consecutive Denver points, Dozier hit a 3-pointer and Green's 26-foot jumper put the Nuggets ahead 113-84 with 6:38 left. Denver then coasted from there.
The Nuggets trailed by eight late in the first quarter but scored 15 straight during a 23-7 run to go ahead by 46-38 midway through the second period.
Denver ended the second on a 14-3 run to lead 65-52 at halftime.
--Field Level Media