Jokic has triple-double, Nuggets beat Cavaliers

Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists for his latest triple-double and Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

Jokic’s 13th triple-double in 16 games and his Nbaleading 22nd this season helped the Nuggets come out of the All-star break with an impressive road win over the Cavs, who dropped to 25-7 at home. The Nuggets improved to 22-0 when Jokic gets a triple-double.

Evan Mobley scored 31 points, but zero in the fourth quarter for Cleveland, which had its chances down the stretch. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had 22 points apiece and Jarrett Allen added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavs.

Porter Jr. made two 3-pointers and Jokic added another as the Nuggets went on a 13-4 run to take a 114-109 lead with 2:15 left. Cleveland then missed shots on its next three possessions — Mitchell twice misfired — allowing Denver to escape with a win in a game that had playoff intensity. Jamal Murray returned to Denver’s lineup after missing six games due to soreness in his right knee. He had 16 points and nine assists.

Reggie Jackson, making his debut with Denver after being signed last week, ended the third quarter by making a 55-foot shot to pull the Nuggets to 9189. Jackson was recently waived by Charlotte after being acquired from the Clippers in a trade deadline deal.

Cleveland’s first game since Kevin Love accepted a contract buyout from the Cavs during the break and signed with Miami.

Allen joked that Love’s move caught him off guard.

“I was told he was going for milk and cigarettes and he just never came back, Allen cracked before acknowledging Love’s absence will hurt.

“It was definitely sad to see him go,” he said. “He was a great guy for the 2 1/2 years I’ve known him. He did a lot for this team, whether it was bringing energy, making sure we were loose. Personality-wise, we’re definitely going to miss him.”