Nikola Jokic notched his 18th triple-double of the season by posting 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, Christian Braun added 20 points and 11 boards and the visiting Denver Nuggets beat the Orlando Magic 113-100 on Sunday night.
Jokic, who leads the NBA in triple-doubles, went 7-for-9 from the field and didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Jamal Murray scored 19 points, Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 and Russell Westbrook supplied 12 for Denver, which has won six straight road games.
The Nuggets’ Peyton Watson had three blocks but left the game in the second quarter after taking a hit to the head. He did not return to the contest.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Magic. Anthony Black scored 14 points, Tristan da Silva and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 12 apiece and Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac each contributed 10 for Orlando, which has dropped three straight games.
The short-handed Magic played without Jalen Suggs (back), Gary Harris (hamstring), Franz Wagner (reconditioning) and Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol).
Orlando took a 63-60 lead on da Silva’s dunk with 8:03 left in the third quarter, but the Nuggets then seized control of the game. Westbrook converted a layup and fed Braun for a 3-pointer, Porter hit a trey of his own and Braun made a running layup and a dunk during a 14-2 run that gave Denver a 74-65 lead.
Trevelin Queen’s layup cut the Magic’s deficit to six. However, the Nuggets ended up going up by 11 before Banchero’s three-point play got Orlando within 83-77.
Murray scored all 10 of his third-quarter points in the final 1:35 of the frame to give Denver a 93-77 lead heading into the fourth.
The Nuggets started fast in the final quarter and opened up a 103-82 lead on Julian Strawther’s 3-pointer with 8:15 left. The Denver lead grew to 24 on Braun’s layup with 6:24 remaining, and the visitors coasted to the finish.
Orlando led by as many as 10 in the second quarter, but the Nuggets tied the contest at 49 on a layup by Westbrook. Denver led 54-52 at the break.
