Nikola Jokic recorded his fourth straight triple in Denver’s 144-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Ball Arena on Tuesday night.
The 3-time MVP filled up the stat sheet, totaling 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to secure his team’s 27th win of the season. He also had a team-high four steals.
“I don’t think any words I say will do him justice,” coach Michael Malone said postgame. “…Nikola is just incredible. He impacts the game across the board.”
He was one of six Nugget players to score in double figures. Christian Braun had 20 points while Michael Porter Jr. added 19 points on 8 for 13 shooting.
Porter played a huge role in Denver stretching its lead to 91-73 in the third quarter. He hit a pair of 3-pointers from the corner and assisted on guard Russell Westbrook’s reverse layup during his team’s 14-4 scoring run.
Westbrook flirted with a triple-double, as he recorded 11 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
For the Sixers, star guard Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points, including 19 points in the first half, and 10 assists. Forward Paul George added 11 points, five boards and seven assists.
Strawther — who scored 23 points off the bench — had the hot hand from deep in the second quarter. He and forward Peyton Watson traded three pointers off assists from Murray to take a 46-32 lead with 10:05 remaining.
When Philadelphia cut Denver’s lead down to single digits, Strawther clapped back with a 3-pointer at the top of the key to put his team up by 11 points. Later in the quarter, Maxey scored five straight points before Strawther buried an outside shot from the wing to temper the Sixers’ momentum.
The second-year guard was 4 for 5 from the 3-point line in the first half. As a whole, Denver shot 16 for 31 from behind the arc for the entire game.
“That’s what we need from him coming off the bench,” Malone said. “We need him to be a weapon. A guy that can provide a scoring boost.”
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was inconsistent despite his teammates’ ability to score with ease. Murray had nine points on 2 for 7 shooting and didn’t make a 3-pointer on three attempts. However, he did a solid job of facilitating the ball with six assists.
Denver forward Aaron Gordon (19 points) was effective in a reserve role. He converted a couple of alley-oop dunks off assists from Jokic, including one in the third that gave the Nuggets a 111-88 lead.
The Nuggets created separation from the Sixers in the opening frame and didn’t look back. They scored eight straight points in the paint to take a nine-point advantage at the five-minute mark. Denver stretched its lead to 12 points when Murray dribbled to the basket before dishing the ball to Jokic for a corner three pointer with 51 seconds to go.
Denver’s emphasis of scoring inside was spearheaded by Westbrook’s playmaking. He had four assists to start the game.
“They played at high level,” Malone said.
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