Returned fans are valuable Nuggets

LOS ANGELES • Jamal Murray scored 30 points as the Denver Nuggets put on a show for returning fans on Tuesday with a 104-95 National Basketball Association win over the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers.

Murray's haul included five-of-11 three-pointers in a one-sided victory for the Nuggets, who roared into a 44-22 first-quarter lead at home and never looked back.

Teammate Nikola Jokic also delivered a towering all-round display, with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Michael Porter Jr and Paul Millsap added 27 and 10 points respectively.

Denver's third straight victory, which followed wins over the in-form Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and the New Orleans Pelicans last week, leaves them in fifth place in the Western Conference with 29 wins and 18 losses.

The game was watched by a crowd of just over 4,000 fans, mostly front-line healthcare workers and first responders. It was the first time supporters have been at a Nuggets game since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted in March of last year.

In on-court remarks following the win, Murray said the support had swept Denver to victory.

"We missed you guys so much," he told the crowd. "You guys bring a whole different energy to the game. Every time the fans are in the building, it gets to me, I get a little excited.

"When we're into it and the crowd's into it, we're a hard team to beat. We haven't had a home-court advantage in over a year."

Home support was crucial in helping the Nuggets get over the line after the hosts nearly choked in the fourth quarter, allowing the Sixers to creep within six points late on before finally pulling away.

"I'm getting tired of watching us build big leads, play the right way, and then just for some reason, relax and allow the game to become more interesting than it should have been," coach Michael Malone said. "We have to somehow develop a killer instinct."

Jokic admitted the Nuggets' concentration had strayed towards the end of the game.

"We didn't have the focus to finish the game," he said. "We thought it was going to be easy. We had a big lead, and started playing loose.

"We won the game, which is the most important thing but we need to have better focus."

The Sixers, meanwhile, were left reflecting on a second straight loss following their 10-point defeat by the Los Angeles Clippers last week.

The second-placed Brooklyn Nets, who have an identical 32-15 record, will overhaul them at the top of the East should they beat the Houston Rockets today.

"It was one of those games where it looked like we were running in quicksand," Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. "They attacked us early and we never really recovered from it.

"They were better prepared and definitely more ready as a group. They were better. No excuses, we just didn't play very well."

Elsewhere on Tuesday, the Clippers, who are third in the West, saw their six-game unbeaten streak halted with an upset home loss to the Orlando Magic.

Kawhi Leonard's 28-point display was not enough to stop the hosts from slumping to a 103-96 defeat against an Orlando side who relied on big contributions from the bench, with Terrence Ross (15 points), Otto Porter Jr (13) and Mo Bamba (12) all reaching double figures.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE