Nikola Jokic helps Nuggets dispatch Nets

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, Peyton Watson scored a career-high 18 points, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 124-101 on Thursday night.

Jamal Murray had 16 points, Aaron Gordon added 13 points, Reggie Jackson scored 12 points and Christian Braun contributed 10 for Denver, which played without Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (concussion protocol).

Jokic bounced back after being ejected in the first half of the win over Chicago on Monday to get his 10th triple-double of the season despite sitting out the fourth quarter.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 17 points, Cam Thomas had 13 points and Cameron Johnson and Nic Claxton added 10 each for the Nets.

The Nuggets led by 13 at halftime and put it away with a big third quarter from Jokic. He opened the second half with a turnaround jumper, banked in another shot, hit a layup and fed Murray for a dunk to make it 62-48.

Brooklyn got back within 10 on two free throws by Thomas but Denver started to take over. Jokic made two free throws, fed Gordon on an alley-oop, Porter scored seven straight points and Gordon made a layup to put the Nuggets ahead 75-56 with 3:57 left.

Jokic notched his triple-double when he got the assist on Julian Strawther's 3-pointer and Jokic made four free throws and a pair of layups to give Denver a 90-67 lead entering the fourth.

Jokic had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the third quarter.

The Nuggets led by as many as 28 in the fourth quarter.

Denver led by seven after the first quarter and expanded the lead in the second. Reggie Jackson made a layup and a technical free throw, Jokic drained a 13-footer and Murray hit a 3-pointer to make it 41-32.

Both teams went cold for more than three minutes but Gordon broke the scoring drought with a dunk to make it an 11-point lead late in the quarter.

The Nets stayed frigid until Claxton's layup ended a scoreless stretch of 5:13, and the Nuggets took a 52-39 lead at halftime.

—Field Level Media