The Denver Nuggets dethroned the Portland Trail Blazers 128-112, as Peyton Watson returned on Sunday night.
Nikola Jokic recorded his 35th triple-double of the season with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists. Jamal Murray scored 22, while Cam Johnson added 19 points.
Watson scored 14 points in just under 20 minutes after not playing since Feb. 4 due to a hamstring injury.
Denver has ended the Blazers’ three-game winning streak, all on the road.
On the other hand, Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 23 points, and Donovan Clingan added 18 for Portland, which never led in the last of a five-game trip.
Both teams started shooting 7-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first 6-plus minutes, hitting more than 70% of their shots.
Murray and Johnson both hit four three-pointers for the Nuggets before halftime, and Clingan did the same for Portland, which trailed 75-69 at the break.
Denver began to pull away when Jokic, Aaron Goron and Johnson sank triples during an 11-0 burst that led to 88-74 midway through the third.
Up next: the Trail Blazers host the Nets on Monday, while the Nuggets vist the Suns on Tuesday.
