Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray powered the Denver Nuggets past the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 140-127 victory on Monday night. Jokic recorded 35 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists, while Murray added 34 points to help Denver bounce back from a blowout loss the previous night.
The Nuggets improved to 42-23, holding the second seed in the Western Conference, while the Thunder (53-12) saw their seven-game winning streak snapped. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer, had 25 points for Oklahoma City but couldn’t replicate his 40-point performance from the previous game.
Lu Dort led the Thunder with a season-high 26 points, hitting eight three-pointers, while Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 20 points. Jalen Williams had 12 points and six assists but exited in the second quarter with a right hip strain and did not return. Without him, Oklahoma City struggled in the second half.
The Thunder led 73-67 at halftime after a strong start from Gilgeous-Alexander and Hartenstein. Denver responded in the third quarter, taking a 101-99 lead entering the final period. Murray’s three-pointer early in the fourth quarter gave the Nuggets a 109-101 cushion, and they controlled the game from there.
Russell Westbrook and Peyton Watson knocked down back-to-back threes to extend Denver’s lead to 125-111 with just under seven minutes left. Jokic, who made 15 of his 20 shot attempts, continued to dominate inside, keeping the Nuggets comfortably ahead.
Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points for Denver, while Christian Braun finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Watson provided a spark off the bench with 16 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc.
For the Thunder, Cason Wallace had 12 points and eight assists, while Alex Caruso added 13 points off the bench. Oklahoma City shot 40.4% from deep but struggled defensively in the second half.
Denver won despite playing the second night of a back-to-back, showing resilience against a younger and deeper Oklahoma City team. The Nuggets shot 60.5% from the field and 56.3% from three, dominating the fourth quarter much like the Thunder had in their victory on Sunday.
With the season series ending tied 2-2, both teams remain top contenders in the West.
