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NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic powers Nuggets past Celtics

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[March 08, 2024] Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his 20th triple-double of the season, and the host Denver Nuggets overcame a big night by Jaylen Brown to beat the Boston Celtics 115-109 on Thursday night.

Denver swept the season series and has won seven of eight out of the All-Star break. Jamal Murray scored 19 points, Aaron Gordon contributed 16 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Peyton Watson had 11 points each for the Nuggets.

Brown had 41 points and 13 rebounds, both season highs, but missed seven free throws. Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jayson Tatum finished with 15 points and Jrue Holiday added 12 for Boston, which lost consecutive games for just the second time this season.

Denver led 62-54 at halftime, but Boston scored the first eight points of the third. The teams traded buckets before Denver went on a 14-5 run to go ahead 82-73 and took a 90-80 lead into the fourth quarter.

Kings 131, Spurs 129

Domantas Sabonis racked up 31 points and 17 rebounds and produced the winning points on a steal and dunk with 7.7 seconds to play as host Sacramento defeated short-handed San Antonio.

Sabonis also had nine assists, falling just short of a triple-double. De'Aaron Fox poured in 33 points, 17 in the fourth quarter before fouling out with 57.1 seconds left. Malik Monk added 18 points, Harrison Barnes 17 and Keon Ellis 11. The Kings have won three of their past four games.

Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 30 points while Malaki Branham had 23. Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins hit for 22 points each and Wesley tallied 11. Tre Jones had a game-high 12 assists, but the Spurs dropped their second straight game.

Timberwolves 113, Pacers 111

Anthony Edwards scored 44 points and recorded a key block with 1.6 seconds remaining to fuel Minnesota to a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.

Edwards made 18 of 35 shots from the floor while playing through an apparent injury he sustained after stepping on a defender's foot just 26 seconds into the game. Rudy Gobert collected 18 points and 14 rebounds and Naz Reid added 13 and eight, respectively, for the Timberwolves, who overcame the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns.

Indiana's Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and Tyrese Haliburton collected 23 points and 13 assists. Jalen Smith scored 14 points off the bench for the Pacers, who have lost three of their last four games.

Mavericks 114, Heat 108

Luka Doncic recorded his 15th triple-double of the season -- 35 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds -- and contributed to a late-game flurry of 3-pointers as Dallas outlasted visiting Miami.

Doncic tied Russell Westbrook's NBA record with his fifth consecutive game posting a 30-plus-point triple-double. Dante Exum scored 13 points in just 17 minutes off the bench, shooting 3 of 5 from the floor, 2 of 2 from 3-point range and 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. Daniel Gafford shot 5 of 5 from the field for 12 points, P.J. Washington scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 11 points off the bench.

Terry Rozier was one of six Miami scorers with at least 13 points. Duncan Robinson matched Rozier's 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc and shot 7 of 10 from the floor overall en route to 19 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. shot 3 of 4 from long distance for 13 points off the bench, and Caleb Martin added another 13 in a reserve role. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, both averaging more than 20 points per game, each scored 14.

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Mar 7, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) reacts after making a three point basket against the San Antonio Spurs in the third quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Suns 120, Raptors 113

Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Grayson Allen poured in 26 first-half points to help Phoenix post a victory over visiting Toronto.

Bradley Beal recorded 20 points and eight assists as Phoenix won for the fourth time in its past six games. Bol Bol had 11 points and eight rebounds and Royce O'Neale contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Suns, who were without Devin Booker (ankle) for the third straight game. Allen set a franchise record with seven treys in the first quarter. He finished the game with eight after going scoreless in the second half.

Gary Trent Jr. hit five 3-pointers and scored 30 points for Toronto, which never led and lost for the fourth time in its past five games. RJ Barrett added 23 points and Immanuel Quickley had 21 points and a career-high 18 assists for the Raptors. Gradey Dick had 12 points and Chris Boucher had 11 points and nine rebounds for Toronto.

Pistons 118, Nets 112

Jaden Ivey had 34 points and host Detroit topped Brooklyn.

Cade Cunningham supplied 32 points and 11 assists in the opener of a six-game homestand for the Pistons, who had lost nine of their previous 10 games. Ausar Thompson had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Jalen Duren added 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Dennis Schroder led the Nets with 31 points and eight assists. Lonnie Walker IV had 21 points, while Nic Claxton contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith added 13 points apiece.

Bulls 125, Warriors 122

DeMar DeRozan converted a go-ahead three-point play with 26 seconds remaining, Nikola Vucevic capped a 33-point performance with two clinching free throws 20 seconds later and Chicago topped Golden State in San Francisco.

Vucevic also tallied a game-high 11 rebounds. Coby White complemented 20 points with a team-high seven assists for Chicago, which had already won at Sacramento and Utah on its four-game trip. Ayo Dosunmu had 14 points and Jevon Carter 10.

Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors. Klay Thompson finished with a team-high 25 points, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul had 15 apiece, Brandin Podziemski chipped in 11 and Moses Moody scored 10.

--Field Level Media

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