The Denver Nuggets showed their offensive firepower and defensive intensity in a 117-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. Jamal Murray scored 32 points on 13-of-16 shooting, while Nikola Jokic recorded his fourth consecutive triple-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
Nuggets use big run to take control of the game
The Nuggets trailed by 15 points early in the second quarter, but they quickly turned things around with a 33-8 run that gave them a 10-point lead at halftime. They continued to pour it on in the third quarter, outscoring the Kings 35-17 and extending their lead to 32 points. The Nuggets shot 54.5% from the field and 44.4% from the 3-point line, while holding the Kings to 40.7% and 25.9%, respectively. The Nuggets also had a 51-38 advantage in rebounds and a 32-18 edge in assists.
Murray and Jokic shine for the Nuggets
Jamal Murray was unstoppable for the Nuggets, scoring 32 points in just 29 minutes of action. He made five of his six 3-point attempts and also added four rebounds and three assists. Murray has been on a tear since the All-Star break, averaging 28.8 points on 65.2% shooting and 60.9% from beyond the arc in four games.
Nikola Jokic was equally impressive, notching his 19th triple-double of the season and his fourth in a row. He did it all for the Nuggets, scoring, rebounding, passing, defending and leading. Jokic is the frontrunner for the MVP award, averaging 27.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game.
Kings miss Fox and struggle to score
The Kings were without their star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who was ruled out before the game with a left knee contusion. Fox is the team’s leading scorer and playmaker, averaging 23.4 points and 7.4 assists per game. His absence was felt by the Kings, who struggled to generate offense and keep up with the Nuggets. The Kings were led by Domantas Sabonis, who had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but shot just 5-of-15 from the field. Keegan Murray scored 21 points off the bench, while Alex Len added 18 points and nine rebounds.
Nuggets improve to fourth in the West, Kings fall to 10th
The Nuggets improved to 40-19 with the win, moving up to fourth place in the Western Conference standings. They are two games behind the Phoenix Suns for the second seed and four games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the top spot. The Nuggets have won four straight games and eight of their last 10.
The Kings dropped to 33-25 with the loss, falling to 10th place in the West. They are two games behind the Golden State Warriors for the eighth seed and the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Kings have lost two straight games and four of their last six.
