DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 21 rebounds and a career-high 22 assists and the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Phoenix Suns 149-141 in overtime Friday night after losing a 21-point lead.
Jokic became the first NBA player with a triple-double of at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists. He tied his own team record with his 29th triple-double of the season, stretching his career total to 149.
Aaron Gordon made a career-high seven 3-pointers and had 27 points for Denver. Kevin Durant scored 29 points for Phoenix, hitting a 3-pointer at regulation buzzer to send it into overtime.
Jokic opened the extra period with a floater in the lane to spark a 7-0 run. The Nuggets led by 11 after Christian Braun’s dunk and layup with 51 seconds left.
Three nights after overcoming a 23-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-117 at home, the Suns trailed 85-64 in the third and cut it to heading into the fourth. They went ahead 122-120 in the final minute, but Denver answered and took a 125-122 lead on Braun’s 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left.
CAVALIERS 118, HORNETS 117
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and NBA-leading Cleveland rallied for their 13th straight victory, over Charlotte.
Darius Garland added 20 points to help the Cavaliers improve to 53-10. Evan Mobley scored 19 points, De’Andre Hunter had 15, Jarrett Allen 14 and Sam Merrill 12.
Miles Bridges scored 46 points for Charlotte. His shot from halfcourt at the buzzer was off the mark. The Hornets have lost nine straight to fall to 14-48.
Cleveland led 67-54 early in the second half and was up 87-83 after three quarters. Charlotte rallied with a 21-8 run for a 104-95 lead with 5:41 to play.
The Cavaliers responded by outscoring the Hornets 25-15 to end the game. Hunter’s contested follow shot with 43 seconds left gave Cleveland the lead for good at 112-110.
Jusuf Nurkic added 12 points and 15 rebounds for Charlotte.
GRIZZLIES 122, MAVERICKS 111
DALLAS (AP) — Ja Morant scored 31 points, including the game’s final seven, and Desmond Bane had 27 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as Memphis rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Dallas.
Reserves Brandon Williams scored a career-high 31 points and Naji Marshall had career bests with 29 points and 17 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost four consecutive games and six of their last seven.
The Grizzlies finished on an 18-4 run to snap a season-long four-game losing streak. They played their second straight game without leading scorer Jaren Jackson, Jr., who’s considered week-to-week after injuring his left ankle Monday.
After Williams’ free throw pulled Dallas within 115-111 with 2:06 left, Morant had a layup with 1:35 left, a jumper with a minute to play and a pullup 3-pointer with 30 seconds left.
RAPTORS 118, JAZZ 109
TORONTO (AP) — Immanuel Quickley scored a season-high 34 points and Toronto overcame a dominant rebounding effort by Walker Kessler to beat Utah.
Quickley added five rebounds, five assists and three steals in the Raptors’ third straight win. Scottie Barnes had 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Kessler led the Jazz with 18 points while setting career highs with 25 rebounds and eight blocks. Keyonte George also scored 18 points for the Jazz.
Utah, last in the Western Conference, suffered its fourth straight loss.
Raptors rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter had 14 points, five rebounds and two assists before leaving the game in the third quarter after straining his right quad.
Walter joined a long list of Toronto players who were unavailable for the game, including top scorer RJ Barrett (ankle, rest). The Raptors have won three straight games.
THUNDER 107, TRAIL BLAZERS 89
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Aaron Wiggins scored 30 points, Jaylin Williams had his first career triple-double, and Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City beat Portland with MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander was held out for rest, missing just his second game this season. The Thunder were also without Chet Holmgren (lower right leg contusion) and Isaiah Hartenstein (broken nose).
They still had more than enough to win their sixth straight game. The Blazers got within two points midway through the fourth quarter, but Williams and Wiggins responded with 3-pointers and the Thunder cruised from there.
Williams finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Alex Caruso scored 17 points, and Isaiah Joe and Ousmane Dieng had 16 apiece.
Scoot Henderson scored 22 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 19 for the Blazers.
TIMBERWOLVES 106, HEAT 104
MIAMI (AP) — Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 15 points each and Minnesota beat Miami for their fourth straight victory.
Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle finished with 13 each. Edwards, who averages 27.5 points per game, attempted a season-low 10 shots and made four. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was Minnesota’s seventh double-figure scorer with 12 points.
Edwards split two free throws with eight seconds left to put Minnesota ahead 106-101. Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with three seconds got Miami within two.
Conley’s errant inbounds pass allowed the Heat a chance for a tying shot or go-ahead 3-pointer, but Bam Adebayo’s 3-pointer bounced off the rim.
Adebayo had 29 points and 13 rebounds. Tyler Herro added 22 points and Robinson finished with 15 for the Heat.
KINGS 127, SPURS 109
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 36 points and Sacramento beat San Antonio in De’Aaron Fox’s first game as a visitor against his former team.
Fox faced his original NBA team for the first time since being traded to the Spurs last month in a three-team deal that brough LaVine to Sacramento.
But it was LaVine who shined by scoring 16 points to break the game open in the second quarter on the way to his sixth straight game with at least 20 points.
DeMar DeRozan added 22 points and Keegan Murray scored 19 to give the Kings their fifth win in six games.
Fox shot just 6 for 17 and finished with 16 points. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 25 points.
Sacramento outscored the Spurs by 20 points in the second quarter to turn a six-point deficit into a 14-point halftime lead.
CLIPPERS 105, KINGS 95
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 20 and Los Angeles held off New York.
The Knicks, who are third in the East, dropped their third in a row including an overtime loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers a night earlier. That’s when they lost Jalen Brunson, who twisted his ankle and is out at least two weeks.
Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Mikal Bridges added 22 and Josh Hart had 14 points and 20 rebounds.
Ivica Zubac had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers.
The Associated Press