Nikola Jokic scored 39 points and the Denver Nuggets rallied from 23 points down with a big fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks 134-133. Jamal Murray had 23…<\/p>\n
ATLANTA(AP) \u2014 Nikola Jokic scored 39 points and the Denver Nuggets rallied from 23 points down with a big fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks 134-133 on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Jamal Murray had 23 points and 12 assists, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 17 points for the Nuggets, who have won nine straight road games.<\/p>\n
The Hawks had a chance for a tying 3-pointer on their final possession, but Murray blocked the attempt by Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The loose ball led to a layup by Alexander-Walker with 2 seconds left, and the Nuggets quickly inbounded the ball and ran out the clock.<\/p>\n
Jalen Johnson had 21 points, 18 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists for the Hawks, who have lost three straight. Johnson, who missed Wednesday\u2019s game with a strained calf, became the first Hawks player in the play-by-play era to record a triple-double by halftime. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists at the break.<\/p>\n
Alexander-Walker finished with 30 points and Kristaps Porzingas had 25.<\/p>\n
Jokic shot 2 for 13 in the first half, but ended 13 for 26 and had nine rebounds and eight assists.<\/p>\n
The Nuggets trailed 103-94 at the end of the third quarter, but opened the fourth with a 23-3 blitz, all with Jokic on the bench. Cam Johnson had three 3-pointers during the run and the Nuggets hit their first seven 3-pointers of the fourth.<\/p>\n
The Hawks took a big lead in the first quarter. Atlanta hit 13 of its first 15 shots and had 13 assists by quarter’s end, a season-high for a single quarter. The Hawks led 41-23 at the quarter and their lead topped out at 63-40 in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
\nUp next <\/p>\n
Nuggets play at Charlotte on Sunday for the third of a four-game trip. Hawks visit Washington on Saturday in their fifth back-to-back this season.<\/p>\n