LOS ANGELES: Denver’s NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic shook off a slow start to post a 27-point triple-double Sunday as the Nuggets rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 132-129 in overtime. Jokic, who claimed his third MVP in four years last season, added 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
But the Serb star, who was held to six points in the first half, bemoaned another slow start for Denver—who trailed by as many as 17 in the third quarter. They took a 111-109 lead on Julian Strawther’s layup with 4:37 left in regulation.
CJ McCollum put New Orleans back in front 119-117 with 53.2 seconds left in the fourth, but Denver guard Jamal Murray drilled a step-back basket with nine seconds to go to tie it at 119-119, and when McCollum missed a three-pointer they went to overtime.
Jokic took over in the extra session, scoring Denver’s first six points as they handed the Pelicans a seventh straight defeat. "Seems like we just like it that way,” Jokic said of the late heroics needed by the Nuggets, but added: "We should be more hungry.”
Murray also scored 27 points for Denver, and Russell Westbrook added 21 off the bench. Jordan Hawkins led New Orleans’ scoring with 25 points and McCollum had 24. Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers posted their fourth straight win in impressive style, powering away in the second half to beat the Kings 122-95 in Sacramento. Pascal Siakam delivered a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds and the Pacers put up 70 points in the second half of a dominant victory in which seven Indiana players scored in double figures.
Myles Turner scored 15 points, star guard Tyrese Haliburton and reserve Ben Sheppard added 14 apiece and T.J. McConnell contributed 12 points and 10 assists off the bench. "We brought it from start to finish,” Sheppard said. "The energy we brought, both the bench and the starters, it was a great team win.”
Point guard De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points to lead the Kings, and Domantas Sabonis added 17 points and 21 rebounds, but Kings fans were booing as the team fell to a fourth straight defeat. "Tough night for us,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. "There are going to be nights when you don’t have it offensively, but we can’t give up 70 points in a half.”
The Houston Rockets erased a 16-point first-half deficit to beat the Raptors 114-110 in Toronto. Dillon Brooks scored 27 points and Jalen Green added 22 for Houston, who held the Raptors to five-of-15 shooting in the fourth quarter to finally seal the game. Alperen Sengun scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Houston, who out-scored Toronto 33-26 in the third quarter to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
The Rockets pushed the advantage to as many as 11, but the Raptors cut the deficit to three on Ochai Agbaji’s dunk with 22.7 seconds remaining. Toronto would get no closer, however, with Brooks finally sealing it with a free throw. — AFP