Jokic’s Triple-Double Saves Denver, Nuggets Stun Jazz After Trailing By 13

Nikola Jokic powered Denver’s rally with 33 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists as the Nuggets erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Utah Jazz 135-129 on Friday night. Jamal Murray added 31 points, and Denver used a late burst from beyond the arc to take control in a game that mattered in the Western Conference playoff race.

The win helped Denver stay in fourth place, one game ahead of Minnesota and a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers. It also extended Jokic’s run of dominance, as he posted his fourth straight triple-double and his 31st of the season.

Late 3-pointers decide the game

Cam Johnson and Murray combined for four 3-pointers in the final 2:20, and that stretch changed the outcome in a hurry. Johnson finished with 12 points, while Murray closed the door with a deep shot after Utah briefly kept the game alive.

Denver trailed 120-107 before Jokic sparked the comeback with a layup. Tim Hardaway Jr. then hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws to pull the Nuggets within 124-121.

How Denver flipped the momentum

After Ace Bailey answered with a baseline jumper, Jokic converted a turnaround shot and Johnson tied the game with a 3-pointer. The teams traded baskets from long range before Johnson put Denver ahead for good with 46 seconds left, then Murray buried another 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining after a Utah turnover.

The Nuggets needed that finishing run after Utah controlled much of the middle of the game. Denver opened with an early 12-point lead, but the Jazz came back to tie it 62-62 at halftime and then used a strong third quarter to build more separation.

Utah’s big third quarter fell short

Utah scored 43 points in the third period and got 15 of them off eight Denver turnovers. The Jazz led by as many as 14 late in the quarter, but they could not maintain the pace once the fourth quarter slowed down and Denver tightened its defense.

Kyle Filipowski led Utah with 25 points, while Hardaway Jr. had 21 for Denver in a game that showed how much the Jazz missed several key players. Utah played without Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen, among others, and has now lost 26 of its last 29 games.

Key numbers from Nuggets-Jazz

1. Jokic: 33 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists
2. Murray: 31 points, four 3-pointers, including the late dagger
3. Filipowski: 25 points to lead Utah
4. Hardaway Jr.: 21 points off the bench
5. Utah’s third quarter: 43 points, with 15 off Nuggets turnovers

Jokic also hit one of the game’s most memorable shots, a 39-footer at the end of the third quarter that bounced on the rim twice before dropping in. That basket cut Denver’s deficit to single digits and gave the Nuggets the momentum they needed before the final-quarter comeback took over.