Jokic’s triple-double carries Nuggets
DENVER — Nikola Jokic had a triple-double and Michael Porter Jr. made five 3-pointers as the Denver Nuggets cruised past Phoenix 118-102 on Tuesday night in Game 5 to regain the series lead.
Jokic had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 10th career playoff triple-double, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for most by a center in NBA history.
After Denver lost two straight at Phoenix, Nuggets coach Michael Malone devised a five-point plan for the Nuggets to regain control of the series: patch up their transition defense, slow Devin Booker, get more from his bench, unleash MPJ and knock down open 3s.
Check, check, check, check and check.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Phoenix. The home team has won every game in the series. If that holds true again, the decisive winner-take-all clash will come Sunday back in Denver, where the top-seeded Nuggets own the NBA’S best home record at 39-7, including 5-0 in the playoffs.
Kevin Durant chipped in 26 points for Phoenix.
Before the game, Jokic shared a warm pregame embrace — and the basketball — with Suns owner Mat Ishbia 48 hours after their kerfuffle over a loose ball in Phoenix in Game 4 resulted in a technical foul and a $25,000 fine for the Nuggets big man.
■ 76ers 115, Celtics 103: At Boston, Joel Embiid scored 33 points and Philadelphia rolled to a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was the third straight 30-point game of the series for Embiid, who also had seven rebounds and four blocks.
Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and six 3-pointers, and James Harden finished with 17 points and 10 assists and eight rebounds for the 76ers, who led by as many as 21 in the fourth quarter.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points but was just 11 of 27 from the field. Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points.
Philadelphia will have chance to close out the series and advance to the conference finals when they host Game 6 on Thursday.