Nikola Jokic had 36 factors, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his NBA-leading thirteenth triple-double of the season because the host Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 122-113 on Tuesday for his or her seventh consecutive win.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 23 factors, Jamal Murray contributed 17, Bruce Brown had 12 and Aaron Gordon added 11 factors and a season-high eight assists for the Nuggets, who’ve gained 14 straight residence video games.
Denver performed the sport with out head coach Michael Malone after he was positioned in well being and security protocol on Tuesday morning. Assistant David Adelman served because the performing head coach.
Malone is prone to miss the Nuggets’ Wednesday residence recreation in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, too.
Damian Lillard scored 44 factors — the third time in 4 video games he put up 40 or extra — for the Trail Blazers, who’ve misplaced eight straight highway video games. Jerami Grant had 18 factors, Anfernee Simons added 14 and Shaedon Sharpe completed with 13 for Portland, which had gained its earlier two contests.
In the primary half, Lillard was 8-for-12 from the sphere, 6-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc and 8-for-8 from the foul line for 30 factors. It was the second time he has scored at the least 30 in a half in opposition to Denver this season, after a 32-point second half on Dec. 8 in Portland.
Despite his output, the Blazers trailed 73-67 at intermission.
Murray heated up in the beginning of the third quarter, hitting a pair of 3-pointers because the Nuggets constructed an 11-point lead. Portland answered with three straight layups, however Porter drained two 3-pointers to push the result in 95-82.
Denver took a 101-89 benefit into the fourth quarter.
Zeke Nnaji’s 3-pointer early within the remaining interval gave the Nuggets a 104-91 lead, however Lillard answered with a free throw, a layup and three extra from the road to get the Blazers inside 106-99 with 7:51 left.
Denver put it away with a 13-0 run as Portland went and not using a level for 4 minutes.
—Field Level Media/Reuters
