DENVER Nuggets leaned on an explosive outing from Jamal Murray to score a 132-121 victory over Portland Trail Blazers in the 2024-2025 NBA Regular Season on Wednesday night (Thursday in the Philippines) at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
Murray finished with a career-high of 55 points, including seven three-point conversions, to go with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals as the Nuggets won their eighth straight game for a 36-19 win-loss slate.
Nikola Jokic added a triple-double of 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, Christian Braun had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Zeke Nnaji and Julian Strawter had 16 and 11 points, respectively, for Denver.
The Nuggets were scorching in the opening quarter behind Jokic and Murray as they build a 40-27 lead before they widened the advantage to 75-56 after two quarters.
Denver maintained the double-digit spread at 107-91 in the third quarter but Portland threatened to within 117-126 in the fourth quarter before the Nuggets sealed the win with baskets from Murray and Jokic.
Anfernee Simons finished with 26 points, Donovan Clingan and Jabari Walker added 17 points apiece, Dalano Banton, Deni Avdija, and Shaedon Sharpe had 14 each as the Blazers dropped to a 23-32 record.
Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson hit the game-winning shot with 11 seconds left as New York Knicks pulled off a 149-148 overtime win against Atlanta Hawks at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Hawks’ Onyeka Okongwu drained two free throws with 24 seconds left to give the Hawks a one-point lead, before Brunson dribbled up the court and sank a fallaway from the foul line.
Atlanta’s Trae Young tried to drive the baseline, but his floater glanced off the side of the backboard. Okongwu collected the rebound and dished to a wide-open Georges Niang, but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Karl-Anthony Towns tallied a double-double of 44 points and 10 rebounds, Brunson had 36 points and eight assists, and Josh Hart added 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists./PN
BOX SCORE:
DENVER 132 — Murray 55, Jokic 26, Braun 21, Nnaji 16, Strawter 11, Pickett 3, Jordan 0, Saric 0, Tyson 0.
PORTLAND 121 — Simons 26, Clingan 17, Walker 17, Avdija 14, Banton 14, Sharpe 14, Camara 13, Murray 6, Rupert 0.
Quarterscores: 40-27, 75-56, 107-91, 132-121.
