The Denver Nuggets survived the Phoenix Suns 125-123, as Nikola Jokic made a late basket to win the game on Tuesday night.
Jokic dropped 23 points, 17 rebounds, and tied a season high of 17 assists. He made the go-ahead basket, knocking down a 12-foot jumper with 11.5 seconds left.
The three-time MVP had an NBA-leading 29th triple-double of the season by early in the third, as he shot 9 of 16 from the field, while also involving his teammates on the floor.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker tried a good look at a potential winning three-pointer, but fell short off the rim.
Phoenix trailed 117-109 with 3:19 left, but methodically worked its way back.
Booker made a tough jumper in the lane to tie the game at 123 with 30.2 seconds remaining. He had 22 points and eight assists.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 off the bench.
The Nuggets have a 10-point lead at halftime, but Jordan Goodwin and Grayson Allen made back-to-back triples in the third for Phoenix to cut the edge to 97-95.
Jalen Green and Allen had 21 points each.
Denver has won six of their last eight games and is 1 1/2 games behind the Lakers for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Suns have dropped six of their last seven games and face an uphill battle to avoid the play-in tournament, as they are currently the No. 7 team in the West.
Up next: the Nuggets host the Mavericks on Wednesday, while the Suns host the Jazz.
