Nuggets Rout Bucks
Thanks to a second-half surge, the Denver Nuggets routed the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106. The Nuggets trailed by three points at halftime before outscoring the Bucks 66-40 in the second half. The Nuggets picked up their 50th win of the season, reducing their magic number to clinch the Western Conference to five.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic recorded game highs of 31 points (tied) and 11 assists, shooting 10-20 from the field and 10-11 from the free throw line. Jokic has produced 35 points-assists double-doubles this season, tied with Trae Young for the league lead.
Jokic had a plus-minus of +19, the 40th time this season he’s recorded a figure of +10 or higher. That’s the most such games in the NBA this season, eight more than any other player.
Jokic surpassed 12,000 career points, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to reach that mark:
Alex English
Dan Issel
Carmelo Anthony
Nikola Jokic
Teammate Jamal Murray scored 26 points on 9-19 shooting from the field, including 5-10 from 3-point range. Murray also contributed nine assists and six rebounds.
The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo tied Jokic for game-high scoring honors with 31 points, 24 of them coming in the first half. Antetokounmpo shot 13-22 from the field, adding nine rebounds and four steals.
Kings Hold Off Jazz
Even with star point guard De’Aaron Fox sitting out due to a sore hamstring, the Sacramento Kings managed to hold off the Utah Jazz 121-113. The Kings are one win away from clinching their first playoff spot since the 2005-06 season, the longest postseason drought in NBA history.
The Kings have scored at least 120 points 39 times this season, the most such games in the NBA. The Kings are averaging a league-high 121.1 PPG this season, which would be the highest single-season scoring average by a team since the 1983-84 Denver Nuggets (123.7).
The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis recorded his NBA-leading 60th double-double of the season, producing 16 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. In 13 games this month, Sabonis is averaging 20.6 PPG, 13.0 RPG, and 8.8 APG with a field goal percentage of 58.3%. He leads all players with 11 double-doubles and five triple-doubles this March.
Teammate Kevin Huerter recorded his second straight 25-point game, scoring a team-high 27 points. He added seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, committing just one turnover.
Jazz center Walker Kessler had a huge game, scoring a game-high 31 points and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds. Kessler became the first rookie in franchise history to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game.
Kessler shot a blistering 14-16 from the field (87.5%). The last rookie to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game with a field goal percentage of at least 85% was Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Jan. 31, 1998.
Hawks Outgun Pacers
Despite the ejection of star point guard Trae Young at the 7:25 mark of the third quarter, the Atlanta Hawks outgunned the Indiana Pacers 143-130. The Hawks evened their record at 37-37 with the win. Atlanta has been within one game of .500 after each of its last 28 games, the longest such streak in NBA history.
The Hawks’ John Collins scored a team-high 21 points on 9-12 shooting from the field, while teammate Clint Capela contributed 17 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, hitting all five of his shots from the field.
The Pacers were led by Jordan Nwora, who came off the bench to score a season-high 33 points. Nwora shot 12-17 from the field — including 4-7 from 3-point range — and made all five of his free throws.
Nwora scored 25 of his points in the second quarter, setting a franchise record for most points scored in a single period in a regular season game. Pacers legend Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game versus the New York Knicks on June 1, 1994.
Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton scored 19 points and dished a game-high out 13 assists. Haliburton has recorded 32 points-assists double-doubles this season, the fourth-most such games in the NBA and the most such games in a single season in franchise history.
Eight players on each team scored in double figures. It’s just the 10th time in NBA history at least eight players on both teams scored 10 or more points in a game.
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
Brandon Ingram scored 32 points and distributed a career-high 13 assists in the New Orleans Pelicans’ 131-110 blowout win over the LA Clippers. Ingram became just the second player in franchise history to record back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games, joining Chris Paul (Jan. 3 & 6, 2009). Teammate Trey Murphy III matched Ingram’s 32 points, shooting 11-14 from the field with 10 3-pointers made. Murphy III is just the third player in franchise history to make at least 10 3-pointers in a game, joining Peja Stojakovic (Nov. 6, 2007) and CJ McCollum (Dec. 30, 2022).
The Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 125-105, breaking open a close game with an 11-2 run to start the fourth quarter. Devin Booker led the Suns with 29 points, shooting 9-18 from the field and making all nine of his free throws. The Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 37 points in the loss, hitting 14 of his 19 shots with seven 3-pointers made. Teammate Joel Embiid contributed 28 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, but connected on just eight of his 19 attempts from the field.
Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 27 points as the Brooklyn Nets destroyed the Miami Heat 129-100, passing the Heat and moving into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets trailed at halftime, but used a 31-6 run to start the third quarter to turn a four-point deficit into a 21-point lead.