NBA: Jokic's epic triple-double lifts Denver to West lead

NEW YORK – Two-time reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic delivered an epic triple-double to give Denver an overtime triumph on Sunday.

The Serbian superstar centre scored 41 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and passed off 15 assists to spark the Nuggets to a 128-125 win over visitors Phoenix.

His points total, coming on 16-of-25 shooting from the floor, was the largest for any Christmas triple-double in NBA history.

“It’s nice. It’s just one game,” Jokic said. “Everybody can have one good game.”

It was Jokic’s 83rd career triple-double and his seventh of this season.

The victory gave the Nuggets (21-11) a one-game Western Conference lead over Memphis, who lost on Sunday at defending champions Golden State, and New Orleans.

“We keep fighting,” Jokic said of the comeback victory. “We have a lot of guys who can play. I’m just happy that we are winning. We’re playing really good.”

Denver’s Aaron Gordon added 28 points, many on high-leaping slam dunks, and 13 rebounds, while Jamal Murray had 26 points.

Murray’s dunk with 11 seconds remaining in regulation sent the game to overtime tied at 113-113, while a late dunk and free throw in overtime by Gordon helped seal Denver’s triumph.

“It was a crazy game, a lot of up and down, a lot of runs for both teams,” Jokic said. “I think it’s supposed to be easier game for us. We got the win. That’s the most important thing.”

Reserve Landry Shamut scored 31 points to lead Phoenix, who lost star Devin Booker to a groin injury after only four minutes.

Golden State, without injured top scorer Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, defeated Memphis 123-109 to knock the Grizzlies from a share of the West lead.

Jordan Poole scored 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting to lead Golden State before getting his second technical foul and being ejected with 9min 20sec remaining.

The Warriors had five other players reach double figures in the game and improved to 13-2 at home and 16-18 overall.

Ja Morant had 36 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to lead the Grizzlies. Klay Thompson added 24 points for the Warriors.

“We know what we want to do, and we have done it many times over,” said Thompson, who contributed nine rebounds. “There is really nothing that can be said that will ruffle our feathers.

“Back in the mid-2010s, I used to take that stuff to heart. But now, being 12 years in this league, I am just worried about what we can do to be the best that we can be.”

Joel Embiid and James Harden sparked Philadelphia’s 119-112 victory in New York, the 76ers’ eighth consecutive triumph.

Cameroonian star Embiid struck 35 points and eight rebounds while Harden contributed 29 points and 13 assists.

New York’s Julius Randle scored 35 points and Jalen Brunson added 23 points and 11 assists, before leaving with an apparent right-hip injury in the fourth quarter.

In Dallas, hosts Mavericks got 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists from Slovenian star Luka Doncic in downing the Los Angeles Lakers 124-115.

LeBron James scored a game-high 38 points with six rebounds and five assists, but the Lakers (13-20) dropped their fourth game in a row since 2.08m power forward Anthony Davis was sidelined with a right foot injury.

“Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length, which we don’t have already,” said James, who had his seventh consecutive 30-point game.

The four-time NBA MVP is averaging 33.4 points with a 58 per cent field-goal percentage, adding 6.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists across the past seven games. But it was not enough.

He said: “We have to make up in ways that, without AD, (are) very difficult, very challenging.

“I think at one point we had a line-up of, I think Austin Reaves (1.95m) was the tallest guy on the court for us.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out.” AFP