Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, 15, and Atlanta Hawks forward DeAndre Hunter, 12, compete for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
ATLANTA — Nikola Jokic scored 48 points and the Denver Nuggets never trailed, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 141-111 on Sunday night.
The Nuggets snapped a losing streak at two, including a 122-113 loss at Washington on Saturday night, and ended the Wizards’ losing streak at 16. Jokic scored a career-high 56 points in the loss.
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Jokic continued his hot shooting against Atlanta, recording 14 rebounds and eight assists. Michael Porter Jr. tied his season-high with 26 points.
Read: NBA: Nikola Jokic’s career high comes during Nuggets’ low point
There is consistency, there is dominance, and there is the joker.
🤯 Last night it was 56, 16, 8
🤯 Tonight is 48, 14, 8Nikola Jokic has consistently dominated. pic.twitter.com/b3XZGnS2fZ
— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2024
Atlanta was led by DeAndre Hunter with 20 points. Hunter was taken to the locker room midway through the third quarter after being hit in the head by Aaron Gordon’s blocked shot, but Gordon was not called for a foul but returned.
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For the Hawks, Dyson Daniels had 18 points and Trae Young had 15 points and 10 assists.
Jamal Murray was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
takeout
Nuggets: Denver had a season-high 43 assists, including 11 from Russell Westbrook, and shot 62.9 percent (56-of-89) from the field.
Hawks: Hunter has scored at least 20 points in six of the last seven games, including four straight.
Read: NBA: Wizards end 16-game drought, beat Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
important moment
After trailing 45-25, the Hawks rallied to cut Denver’s lead to 51-39. The Nuggets regained momentum with two of Porter’s six first-half dunks and led 71-48 at halftime, their largest lead of the game.
Main status
The Nuggets made 21 of 44 shots (61.4%) in the first half. Meanwhile, the Hawks completed 17 of 51 shots (33.3%), matching their worst shooting mark of the season.
to the next
Denver returns home Friday to face the Los Angeles Clippers, and Atlanta faces the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
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