Jokic scores 37 points, leads Nuggets past Warriors to stay alive

Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and fed Will Barton for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8.3 seconds left, helping the Denver Nuggets avoid a series sweep with a 126-121 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

“Can I say we got them right where we want them? No, but we’re alive,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We live to fight another day.”

Monte Morris’ 7-footer broke a 121-all tie with 33.5 seconds left after the Nuggets blew a 17-point lead. Austin Rivers then stole Otto Porter Jr.’s pass.

Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these NBA playoffs.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points. Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 32 points after picking up his fourth foul in the final second of the first half. Jordan Poole had 11 after averaging 27.8 in the first three games of the series.

Although none of the 143 other teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs ever bounced back to advance, the Nuggets became the league’s first team ever to overcome 3-1 deficits in consecutive series two years ago when they bounced the Jazz and Clippers in the Orlando bubble.

The series shifts back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

(At) New Orleans 118, Phoenix 103: Brandon Ingram scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and the Pelicans beat the Suns — playing without injured star Devin Booker — in Game 4 on Sunday to tie the first-round series.

“Brandon is playing some of his best basketball of the season, and he’s doing it on the biggest stage, and it’s great to see,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said.

Jonas Valanciunas reasserted himself in the middle with 26 points and 15 rebounds to help the Pelicans pull even heading back to Phoenix Tuesday night.

Booker strained his right hamstring after scoring 31 first-half points in the top-seeded Suns’ Game 2 loss. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 23 points and eight rebounds, and fellow center Javale Mcgee had 14 points.

Chris Paul, who had 19-point fourth quarters in the Suns’ two playoff wins, was held to four points in 35 minutes.