Nikola Jokic dominated the Golden 1 Center on Thursday, scoring 36 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists as the Denver Nuggets cruised past the Sacramento Kings 136-105. The victory marked Denver’s franchise-record 11th straight road win and improved their record to 18-6.
Jokic was nearly flawless, making 14 of 16 shots from the floor, including both of his three-pointers, while going 6-for-8 at the free-throw line and sitting out the fourth quarter. Peyton Watson added 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Cameron Johnson contributed 16, with Jonas Valanciunas scoring 15 off the bench.
The Nuggets set the tone early, turning a 13-13 tie into a 24-6 run in the first quarter, fueled by Jokic’s 16 points in the opening 12 minutes. Denver led 77-54 at halftime after a Jokic three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter, their largest margin to that point.
Sacramento briefly cut into the deficit in the third quarter, but Jokic scored eight of Denver’s first 10 points in the period, extending the lead to 37 in the fourth. Malik Monk paced the Kings with 18 points off the bench, while Russell Westbrook added 17 and Maxime Raynaud finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan reached a career milestone, moving past Vince Carter into 23rd place on the NBA all-time scoring list with two free throws in the second quarter. Injuries continued to impact both sides, with Denver missing Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) and Sacramento sidelined Domantas Sabonis (knee), Dennis Schroder (hip), and Zach LaVine (thumb).
The Nuggets shot 59% overall, including 41% from three-point range, and outrebounded Sacramento 46-38, while limiting the Kings to just 29% shooting from deep. Denver’s balanced scoring saw contributions from Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr., who added 11 points each.
Denver will host the Houston Rockets on Monday, aiming to continue its dominant road form, while Sacramento travels to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in search of its first win in eight games.
