Nikola Jokic Drops 31 Points as Nuggets Outlast Devin Booker, Suns in OT

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Denver Nuggets earned a 130-126 overtime road win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday at Phoenix Suns Arena.

Jokic was two assists shy of a triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight dimes.

Denver shot 51.5 percent from the field, with six players scoring 12 or more points.

Denver also welcomed back Michael Porter Jr., who had been out since Dec. 31 due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Porter had seven points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.

Devin Booker paced the Suns with 31 points but sat near the end of overtime after suffering a hamstring injury while going up for an offensive rebound with Nuggets wing Will Barton. Both players hit the floor, and Booker limped off the court on his own power and stayed on the sidelines for the final 1:54.

Suns head coach Monty Williams confirmed Booker’s injury postgame, per Kellan Olson of Valley of the Suns. Williams also said the Suns likely wouldn’t have Booker for their matchup with Denver on Saturday.

DeAndre Ayton and Mikal Bridges each added double-doubles for the Suns.

The 8-7 Nuggets have won three of their last four games. The 8-6 Suns have lost three of their last four.

Notable Performances

Suns SG Devin Booker: 31 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

Suns C DeAndre Ayton: 27 points, 13 rebounds

Suns SF Mikal Bridges: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists

Suns PG Chris Paul: 11 points, 15 assists

Nuggets C Nikola Jokic: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals

Nuggets PG Jamal Murray: 18 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals

Nuggets PG Monte Morris: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Nuggets SG Gary Harris: 19 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds

Jokic Dominates Down Stretch in Huge Road Win

The Nuggets trailed 68-54 at halftime after Suns point guard Chris Paul posted 14 assists to guide a fantastic offensive performance.

Denver clawed back in the game largely because it clamped down on defense while Gary Harris and Paul Millsap combined for 17 third-quarter points.

It was Jokic, however, who guided the Nuggets to the victory down the stretch. He also helped in the third quarter a bit as well, most notably with this sensational pass to Millsap:

The early MVP candidate re-entered the game with 8:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. He proceeded to score six points alongside a pair of assists and steals to help Denver force overtime. His putback layup with 1:07 remaining tied the game at 114 and proved to be the final points of regulation.

In overtime, Jokic was responsible for Denver’s first six points, putting home a pair of buckets and assisting on a Harris layup. He put in the work on his first bucket, backing down Cameron Johnson before putting home a layup:

Denver’s guards took over from there, with Will Barton giving Denver a 124-123 lead and Jamal Murray offering an insurance bucket:

Jokic also had a big steal with 15.5 seconds left, and Barton iced the game from the free-throw line.

Six Denver players scored 12 or more points, led by Jokic’s 31. The big man shot 15-of-27 from the field and came two assists away from a triple-double as well. He settled for a double-double but ended in some rare company anyway:

The opening 15 games have been a roller-coaster ride for a Denver team that currently sits 8-7 and hasn’t had a winning streak or losing skid of more than two games. But with Jokic down low, Denver has championship aspirations after making a run to the Western Conference Finals last year.

Suns Start Hot, Run Out of Gas Down Stretch

Given how the first half unfolded, the Suns looked like they would be resting their starters in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix couldn’t miss as Paul dominated with his 14 dimes, expertly captaining the Suns’ offense and watching Booker, Ayton and Bridges do work.

The Suns finished the half on a 21-8 run and looked unstoppable during that stretch, but not much went right on either end in the second half and overtime.

First, Denver posted 37 third-quarter points. Phoenix had 27, but it couldn’t keep pace with the hot shooting of Millsap and Harris.

Phoenix’s lead never completely went away during that 12-minute stretch, but a potential blowout turned into a nail-biter going into the fourth.

Once there, the game’s theme changed, with both sides struggling from the field. Phoenix in particular went ice cold to start the fourth with Booker resting, scoring only two points in the first four minutes. That enabled Denver to claw back and even take a 98-97 lead off a PJ Dozier bucket.

From there, it was a seesaw contest, with neither team leading by more than five for the remainder of the game.

Booker was the author of the game’s most impressive sequence, doing work on both ends for a four-point swing that ended with an Ayton dunk:

The turning point, however, came when Booker was forced to leave the court with 1:54 left. That frenetic sequence with him and Barton fighting for a loose ball ended with Ayton possessing it, dunking and going to the line for a successful free throw.

The Suns couldn’t get much going afterward.

Barton responded with a layup, while Phoenix’s next three possessions ended with two missed shots and a turnover.

Paul did hit a three-pointer with 7.8 seconds left to cut Denver’s lead to 128-126, but a pair of Barton free throws put Denver back up four.

Bridges then missed a layup that would have sliced the lead to two, Morris grabbed the board and a ballgame that Phoenix firmly controlled at halftime slipped away.

What’s Next?

Phoenix will host Denver to conclude a two-game set on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.