Denver extends winning streak to six games behind another Jokic triple-double.
The Denver Nuggets picked up a big 126-115 win at home on Thursday night against the Orlando Magic, and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic had plenty to say about how his team took control of the game.
"Yeah I mean, I think we started using our advantages and what we do good, especially in that second quarter, they scored 22 points," Jokic said. "I think that's when we got control of the game. It had a lot of ups and downs, I think we controlled the game the whole way. They tried a little bit of zone defense, double-teamed us a couple times. I think in the end we controlled the game."
Second Quarter Surge Made the Difference
Jokic was right about that second quarter being the turning point because Denver completely flipped the script after falling behind by 14 points early in the period.
The Nuggets went on a huge 35-7 run in the final six and a half minutes of the first half, turning a 47-33 deficit into a 68-54 halftime lead and they never looked back from there.
Jamal Murray caught fire during that stretch and scored 20 of his game-high 32 points in the second quarter alone while making five of his six three-point attempts.
The backcourt star has been playing at an All-Star level lately, and this performance only added to his case for his first selection.
Jokic Makes History With Another Triple-Double
Jokic finished the night with 23 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds for his 13th triple-double of the season, but the numbers only tell part of the story.
The Serbian big man passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most career assists by a center in NBA history, reaching 5,663 dimes and counting.
Jokic needed just six assists to break the record and he got there with 6:26 left in the first half when he found Jalen Pickett for a three-pointer.
The Nuggets improved to 20-6 on the season with the victory and have now won six straight games, putting them firmly in second place in the Western Conference.
Jokic is averaging 29.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.8 assists per game this season while shooting an elite 61.3 percent from the field.
Magic Struggle Without Key Players
The Magic fell to 15-12 on the season with the loss and continue to deal with injuries to some of their best players.
Orlando was already missing leading scorer Franz Wagner due to a sprained left ankle, and they also played without Jalen Suggs after he suffered a left hip contusion in the NBA Cup semifinal loss to New York on Saturday night.
Paolo Banchero did his best to keep the Magic in it, recording his third career triple-double with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, but it was not enough to overcome Denver's firepower at Ball Arena.