Jokic scores 31, Nuggets pull away from Wizards 118-104
WASHINGTON (AP) Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets shook off a slow start and beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 118-104 on Wednesday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 21 points and Jamal Murray had 17 for Western Conference-leading Denver. Trailing by two points af halftime, Murray was also among those with emotional words for the Nuggets.
“We needed that,” Jokic said of Murray's words. “And we know what we needed to do. Because the postseason is going to be really short if we play like we played in the first half.”
The Nuggets went 15 for 32 from beyond the arc and finished a season-high five-game trip with three wins.
The trip began with a loss in Toronto that was the last setback in a season-worst four-game slide.
“Every team in the NBA, I think, has had that bad run,” Jokic said. “Hopefully it's done for us and we survive it. And hopefully we're going to play better now.”
Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points for the Wizards, who were without three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal due to left knee soreness.
Deni Avdija added 16 points for Washington, which lost its fourth straight. Washington entered the game in 12th place in the East and 2 1/2 games back of Chicago for the final play-in spot.
Beal had played 31 minutes and scored 16 points in Tuesday’s 122-112 loss at Orlando. Forward Kyle Kuzma (right ankle) also missed a second straight start.
“It’s frustrating of course, but we can’t control the circumstances,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said “It’s just more, how do we respond to the circumstances? That to me is more important. It’s an indication of who we are collectively and individually."
Neither team led by more than six before halftime. Denver opened up a 21-point lead after outscoring Washington 39-16 in the third quarter.
The Nuggets began the period hitting their first four shots - three from beyond the arc - and ended it with an 8-0 spurt, punctuated by Bruce Brown's running dunk followed by Jeff Green's corner 3 with 0.3 seconds left.
“We cared, finally,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “I challenged our guys in a big way at halftime. The way we played in that first half, that can't be who we are.”
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Finished the season 8-7 on the road against Eastern Conference teams while improving to 19-18 in their travels overall. ... Jokic had seven assists, falling three short of his 29th triple-double this season. ... Murray had eight assists and six rebounds.
Wizards: Shot a season-worst 4 of 26 (15.4%) from beyond the arc. ... Jordan Goodwin scored 12 points and was the only other Washington player in double figures. ... Beal missed his 23rd game of the season and his first since a Feb. 6 home loss to Cleveland. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said pregame that Beal is day to day. HINT OF HOME
Wednesday felt slightly more like home two Nuggets.
Green hit two of his three 3-point attempts and finished with 11 points off the bench in the same building where he used to star for the Georgetown Hoyas. Jokic enjoyed support from a sizable Serbian fan presence, with the Wizards even hosting folk dancers of his home country's tradition at half.
“I mean I love it,” Jokic said. “I always say the Serbian fans are probably the best fans in the world. Our language, our energy, our flags. I love it.”
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Begin a three-game homestand Saturday against Milwaukee.
Wizards: Host San Antonio on Friday.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 |  | Nikola Jokic vs. Kristaps Porzingis (Jamal Murray gains possession) | ||
| 11:54 |  | +2 | Jamal Murray makes two point driving layup | 2-0 |
| 11:36 | | Jamal Murray shooting foul (Deni Avdija draws the foul) | ||
| 11:36 | | Deni Avdija misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 11:36 | | Wizards offensive rebound | ||
| 11:36 | | +1 | Deni Avdija makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 2-1 |
| 11:19 | | Nikola Jokic misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:14 | | Deni Avdija defensive rebound | ||
| 10:58 | | +2 | Kristaps Porzingis makes two point pullup jump shot | 2-3 |
| 10:35 | | +3 | Jamal Murray makes three point stepback jump shot | 5-3 |
| 10:19 | | +2 | Kristaps Porzingis makes two point turnaround jump shot | 5-5 |
| 10:06 | | +3 | Michael Porter Jr. makes three point jump shot (Jamal Murray assists) | 8-5 |
| 9:45 | | Deni Avdija misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:42 | | Aaron Gordon defensive rebound | ||
| 9:37 | | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:32 | | Nikola Jokic offensive rebound | ||
| 9:26 | | +2 | Nikola Jokic makes two point hook shot | 10-5 |
| 9:12 | | +2 | Kristaps Porzingis makes two point pullup jump shot (Monte Morris assists) | 10-7 |
| 8:57 | | Jamal Murray misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:54 | | Deni Avdija defensive rebound | ||
| 8:43 | | +2 | Kristaps Porzingis makes two point pullup bank jump shot | 10-9 |
| 8:32 | | Kristaps Porzingis shooting foul (Aaron Gordon draws the foul) | ||
| 8:32 | | +1 | Aaron Gordon makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 11-9 |
| 8:32 | | +1 | Aaron Gordon makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 12-9 |
| 8:19 | | Kristaps Porzingis turnover (lost ball) (Aaron Gordon steals) | ||
| 8:16 | | Aaron Gordon turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | ||
| 8:02 | | Daniel Gafford misses two point layup | ||
| 8:00 | | Michael Porter Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 7:54 | | Michael Porter Jr. misses two point layup | ||
| 7:51 | | Michael Porter Jr. offensive rebound | ||
| 7:51 | | Michael Porter Jr. misses two point turnaround jump shot | ||
| 7:51 | | Nikola Jokic offensive rebound | ||
| 7:51 | | +2 | Nikola Jokic makes two point putback layup | 14-9 |
| 7:51 | | Kristaps Porzingis shooting foul (Nikola Jokic draws the foul) | ||
| 7:51 | | +1 | Nikola Jokic makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 15-9 |
| 7:30 | | +2 | Deni Avdija makes two point driving layup (Kristaps Porzingis assists) | 15-11 |
| 7:06 | | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 7:03 | | Deni Avdija defensive rebound | ||
| 6:55 | | +3 | Kristaps Porzingis makes three point jump shot (Deni Avdija assists) | 15-14 |
| 6:35 | | +3 | Michael Porter Jr. makes three point pullup jump shot (Nikola Jokic assists) | 18-14 |
| 6:35 | | Wizards 60 second timeout | ||
| 6:14 | | +2 | Kristaps Porzingis makes two point pullup bank jump shot (Deni Avdija assists) | 18-16 |
| 5:56 | | Michael Porter Jr. misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 5:50 | | Jamal Murray offensive rebound | ||
| 5:50 | | +2 | Jamal Murray makes two point tip layup | 20-16 |
| 5:38 | | Kristaps Porzingis misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:35 | | Jamal Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 5:28 | | +2 | Nikola Jokic makes two point driving dunk (Jamal Murray assists) | 22-16 |
| 5:18 | | +2 | Monte Morris makes two point driving layup | 22-18 |
| 4:54 | | Jamal Murray misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 4:51 | | Jordan Goodwin defensive rebound | ||
| 4:45 | | Monte Morris misses three point running pullup jump shot | ||
| 4:44 | | Wizards offensive rebound | ||
| 4:37 | | +2 | Jordan Goodwin makes two point pullup jump shot | 22-20 |
| 4:18 | | +2 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope makes two point pullup jump shot | 24-20 |
| 3:59 | | +3 | Deni Avdija makes three point jump shot (Jordan Goodwin assists) | 24-23 |
| 3:44 | | +3 | Aaron Gordon makes three point jump shot (Nikola Jokic assists) | 27-23 |
| 3:28 | | Taj Gibson misses two point jump shot | ||
| 3:26 | | Nikola Jokic defensive rebound | ||
| 3:21 | | Aaron Gordon misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:16 | | Deni Avdija defensive rebound | ||
| 3:06 | | Michael Porter Jr. personal foul (Kristaps Porzingis draws the foul) | ||
| 3:02 | | Jeff Green personal foul (Kristaps Porzingis draws the foul) | ||
| 2:48 | | Kristaps Porzingis misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 2:45 | | Christian Braun defensive rebound | ||
| 2:36 | | +2 | Nikola Jokic makes two point cutting finger roll layup (Christian Braun assists) | 29-23 |
| 2:24 | | Christian Braun personal foul (Deni Avdija draws the foul) | ||
| 2:24 | | Nuggets 60 second timeout | ||
| 2:14 | | +2 | Jordan Goodwin makes two point stepback jump shot | 29-25 |
| 1:57 | | Johnny Davis personal foul (Jamal Murray draws the foul) | ||
| 1:43 | | Taj Gibson blocks Jeff Green's two point jump shot | ||
| 1:40 | | Delon Wright defensive rebound | ||
| 1:40 | | +2 | Jordan Goodwin makes two point running dunk (Delon Wright assists) | 29-27 |
| 1:22 | | Delon Wright blocks Bruce Brown's two point layup | ||
| 1:18 | | Bruce Brown offensive rebound | ||
| 1:16 | | Christian Braun misses three point jump shot | ||
| 1:11 | | Jordan Goodwin defensive rebound | ||
| 1:01 | | Taj Gibson misses two point hook shot | ||
| 0:59 | | Zeke Nnaji defensive rebound | ||
| 0:54 | | Jamal Murray misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:49 | | Corey Kispert defensive rebound | ||
| 0:46 | | Johnny Davis misses two point layup | ||
| 0:43 | | Taj Gibson offensive rebound | ||
| 0:42 | | Jordan Goodwin misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:38 | | Johnny Davis offensive rebound | ||
| 0:31 | | +2 | Delon Wright makes two point driving layup | 29-29 |
| 0:12 | | +2 | Jamal Murray makes two point driving layup | 31-29 |
| 0:00 | | Jordan Goodwin misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:00 | | Wizards offensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:53 | | Zeke Nnaji personal foul (Delon Wright draws the foul) | ||
| 11:45 | | +2 | Kristaps Porzingis makes two point floating jump shot (Corey Kispert assists) | 31-31 |
| 11:26 | | Kristaps Porzingis shooting foul (Jeff Green draws the foul) | ||
| 11:26 | | Jeff Green misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 11:26 | | Nuggets offensive rebound | ||
| 11:26 | | +1 | Jeff Green makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-31 |
| 11:12 | | Zeke Nnaji shooting foul (Corey Kispert draws the foul) | ||
| 11:12 | | +1 | Corey Kispert makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 32-32 |
| 11:12 | | +1 | Corey Kispert makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-33 |
| 10:52 | | Jamal Murray turnover (traveling) | ||
| 10:27 | | Johnny Davis misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:25 | | Jamal Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 10:17 | | Delon Wright shooting foul (Jeff Green draws the foul) | ||
| 10:17 | | +1 | Jeff Green makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 33-33 |
| 10:17 | | +1 | Jeff Green makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 34-33 |
| 10:09 | | Bruce Brown personal foul (Daniel Gafford draws the foul) | ||
| 10:01 | | Jeff Green shooting foul (Anthony Gill draws the foul) | ||
| 10:01 | | Anthony Gill misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 10:01 | | Wizards offensive rebound | ||
| 10:01 | | +1 | Anthony Gill makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 34-34 |
| 9:46 | | Jeff Green misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:43 | | Johnny Davis defensive rebound | ||
| 9:38 | | Corey Kispert misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 9:35 | | Zeke Nnaji defensive rebound | ||
| 9:24 | | Bruce Brown misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:20 | | Anthony Gill defensive rebound | ||
| 9:06 | | Christian Braun shooting foul (Johnny Davis draws the foul) | ||
| 9:06 | | Johnny Davis misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 9:06 | | Wizards offensive rebound | ||
| 9:06 | | +1 | Johnny Davis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 34-35 |
| 8:49 | | Jamal Murray turnover (traveling) | ||
| 8:33 | | Johnny Davis misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:30 | | Daniel Gafford offensive rebound | ||
| 8:27 | | Daniel Gafford misses two point hook shot | ||
| 8:26 | | Anthony Gill offensive rebound | ||
| 8:25 | | Bruce Brown blocks Anthony Gill's two point layup | ||
| 8:23 | | Bruce Brown defensive rebound | ||
| 8:10 | | +2 | Jeff Green makes two point cutting dunk (Bruce Brown assists) | 36-35 |
| 7:56 | | Delon Wright misses two point driving layup | ||
| 7:53 | | Delon Wright offensive rebound | ||
| 7:52 | | Delon Wright misses two point layup | ||
| 7:49 | | Christian Braun defensive rebound | ||
| 7:32 | | Jeff Green misses two point jump shot | ||
| 7:29 | | Anthony Gill defensive rebound | ||
| 7:23 | | Corey Kispert misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:19 | | Bruce Brown defensive rebound | ||
| 7:01 | | +3 | Jeff Green makes three point jump shot (Jamal Murray assists) | 39-35 |
| 6:44 | | +2 | Johnny Davis makes two point driving reverse layup (Delon Wright assists) | 39-37 |
| 6:42 | | Nuggets 60 second timeout | ||
| 6:25 | | +3 | Nikola Jokic makes three point jump shot (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope assists) | 42-37 |
| 6:08 | | +3 | Corey Kispert makes three point stepback jump shot | 42-40 |
| 5:46 | | Nikola Jokic misses two point cutting layup | ||
| 5:42 | | Michael Porter Jr. offensive rebound | ||
| 5:41 | | Michael Porter Jr. misses two point putback dunk | ||
| 5:41 | | Daniel Gafford defensive rebound | ||
| 5:28 | | +2 | Delon Wright makes two point driving reverse layup | 42-42 |
| 5:18 | | Delon Wright blocks Michael Porter Jr.'s two point floating jump shot | ||
| 5:18 | | Delon Wright defensive rebound | ||
| 5:18 | | Nikola Jokic personal foul (Delon Wright draws the foul) | ||
| 5:18 | | +1 | Delon Wright makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 42-43 |
| 5:18 | | Delon Wright misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 5:14 | | Michael Porter Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 5:08 | | Johnny Davis personal foul (Nikola Jokic draws the foul) | ||
| 5:04 | | Michael Porter Jr. turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 4:45 | | Monte Morris misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:44 | | Nuggets defensive rebound | ||
| 4:33 | | Daniel Gafford blocks Michael Porter Jr.'s two point driving hook shot | ||
| 4:30 | | Deni Avdija defensive rebound | ||
| 4:27 | | +2 | Deni Avdija makes two point running finger roll layup | 42-45 |
| 4:16 | | Nikola Jokic turnover (bad pass) (Monte Morris steals) | ||
| 4:13 | | +2 | Deni Avdija makes two point running finger roll layup | 42-47 |
| 4:13 | | Nuggets 60 second timeout | ||
| 3:59 | | Wizards technical foul (Defensive three second) | ||
| 3:59 | | +1 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope makes technical free throw 1 of 1 | 43-47 |
| 3:51 | | Bruce Brown misses two point floating jump shot | ||
| 3:48 | | Monte Morris defensive rebound | ||
| 3:35 | | +2 | Deni Avdija makes two point driving dunk | 43-49 |
| 3:21 | | +3 | Michael Porter Jr. makes three point jump shot (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope assists) | 46-49 |
| 3:08 | | Monte Morris misses two point driving layup | ||
| 3:04 | | Corey Kispert offensive rebound | ||
| 3:04 | | Corey Kispert misses two point tip layup | ||
| 3:03 | | Nikola Jokic defensive rebound | ||
| 3:03 | | Johnny Davis shooting foul (Bruce Brown draws the foul) | ||
| 3:03 | | +1 | Bruce Brown makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 47-49 |
| 3:03 | | +1 | Bruce Brown makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 48-49 |
| 2:44 | | +2 | Corey Kispert makes two point hook shot | 48-51 |