DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray posted a season-high 41 points, Nikola Jokic had his 18th triple-double of the season and the Denver Nuggets won their third straight game, beating the Atlanta Hawks 128-108 on Saturday night .

Jokic finished the tournament with 14 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, and had the 94th regular season triple-double of his career. Michael Porter Jr. added 23 points for the Nuggets, who were 19-1 in their last 20 home games.

Dejounte Murray scored 28 points to lead the Hawks. De’Andre Hunter added 20 points.

Trailing 18 points at the break, the Hawks cut the deficit to 97-86 early in the fourth quarter after Onyeka Okongwu tipped in the last minute of the third quarter. The Atlanta defense blocked the Nuggets’ last three field goal attempts in the third period.

Jäger’s Knight with 5:49 to play put the Hawks at 109-101. But the Nuggets, led by Murray, responded with a 15-2 run that extended their lead to 124-103 at 2:23. The Hawks never threatened again. Murray had 11 of his points in the late excitement, which Jokic helped start with a go-oop pass to Aaron Gordon for a lay-up for his 10th assist of the game.

Murray had 22 of his points in the first half, including a 3-pointer on a feed from Jokic after an Atlanta turnover in the waning seconds of the second quarter. That gave the Nuggets a 70-52 halftime lead.

ADVICE

Hawks: G Trae Young was removed from the game due to a non-COVID-19 medical condition.

Nuggets: Murray’s career high is 50 points at Cleveland ON on Feb. 19, 2021. F Aaron Gordon was back in the starting lineup after missing the previous game with a sprained left ankle. … G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle. He didn’t come back.

FOLLOWING

Hawks: Visit New Orleans on Tuesday to complete a five-game road trip.

Nuggets: Head to Minnesota on Sunday night for the second in a straight set.

___

NBA PA: and

Source