Jokic scores 31 as Nuggets beat Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS: Nikola Jokic scored 16 OF HIS 31 POINTS IN THE first quarter as the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets took control and held off a second-half rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 114-103 victory on Thursday (Friday in Manila).
javale McGee had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Vlatko Cancar scored a career-high 14 points off the bench for Denver. The Nuggets rested Michael Porter Jr. after clinching home-court advantage in the first round with their 117-112 victory at Charlotte in their previous game.
Denver sits No. 4 in the Western Conference, a game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for third.
Anthony Edwards scored 18 of his 29 points in the third as Minnesota made its run. Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points and 11 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell had 17 points.
Denver used its size with Jokic and McGee to assume a 13-point lead in the first half. The Nuggets scored their first 20 points in the paint, a streak snapped by an Aaron Gordon 3-pointer. They finished with 60 points inside the paint for the game.
Jokic was doing much of the offensive work. He had 12 of Denver’s first 14 points. Together, Jokic and McGee combined for 27 rebounds and the Nuggets held a 53-43 rebounding advantage.
Suns 118, Blazers 117
In Phoenix, Devin Booker made two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give the Phoenix Suns a one-point victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Booker’s winning foul shots were set up when Portland’s Robert Covington was fouled and missed both free throws with 4.4 seconds left, giving the Suns one last chance. Booker was fouled by Norman Powell as he went up for a jumper with 2.4 seconds remaining. Portland’s C.J. McCollum missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer to seal Phoenix’s win.
With the victory, Phoenix moved within a game of Utah for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with two games to play.
Chris Paul led Phoenix with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Mikal Bridges chipped in with 21 points and 11 rebounds and Booker had 18 points but shot just 5 of 17 from the field.
Damian Lillard scored a gamehigh 41 points on 16-of-23 shooting for Portland, which had its five-game winning streak stopped. McCollum had 27 points.