Nuggets extend Nets’ losing streak to 8

Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Will Barton added 21 points as the host Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets, 124-104, on Sunday, February 6 (Monday, February 7, Manila time).

Aaron Gordon scored 17 points, Monte Morris and Jeff Green scored 12 apiece, Bryn Forbes had 11, and Zeke Nnaji 10 to help Denver end a three-game losing streak.

Kyrie Irving finished with 27 points and 11 assists, Cam Thomas had 20 points, Blake Griffin finished with 19, Patty Mills scored 14, and Bruce Brown had 10 for Brooklyn, which has lost eight consecutive games.

The Nets played without James Harden for the second straight game due to left hamstring tightness.

Brooklyn shot 50% on 24 three-point attempts in the first half, with Griffin hitting 5-of-6 from behind the arc to help build a seven-point lead.

Jokic checked back into the game with 7:22 left in the first half and started to take over. He hit all 6 of his field goal attempts in the second quarter and scored 14 points to help the Nuggets lead 76-75 at the break.

Denver came out strong to start the third quarter, taking a double-digit lead. Jokic made a turnaround jumper and a finger roll, Green scored off an offensive rebound, and Jokic hit another layup to cap a 9-0 run for an 88-77 advantage.

James Johnson cut the lead to 88-80 with a three-pointer but the Nuggets reeled off 10 more points to go ahead by 18. The lead grew to 105-84 when Gordon split a pair of free throws, but Mills hit a three-pointer and Irving made a technical free throw and converted a three-point play to get Brooklyn within 15.

Bones Hyland made a fadeaway jumper with less than a second left in the third to make it 107-91 heading into the fourth.

The lead was still 16 points early in the fourth when Thomas and Mills hit three-pointers to get the Nets within 109-99. Barton hit two layups, Gordon a turnaround jumper, and Morris a layup to make it 117-99 with 4:26 left. – Rappler.com