Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (12) battle for a rebound in 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 in their 141-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.
The Nuggets snapped a two-game losing streak that included Saturday night’s 122-113 loss at Washington, ending the Wizards’ 16-game losing streak. Jokic scored a career-high 56 points in the loss.
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Jokic kept up his hot shooting against Atlanta and added 14 rebounds and eight assists. Michael Porter Jr. matched his season high with 26 points.
READ: NBA: Nikola Jokic career high comes during low point for Nuggets
There’s consistency… there’s dominance… and then there’s the Joker.
🤯 56, 16 and 8 last night
🤯 48, 14 and 8 tonightNikola Jokić is consistently dominant. pic.twitter.com/b3XZGnS2fZ
— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2024
De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 20 points. Hunter was escorted to the locker room midway through the third quarter after he was hit on his head on a blocked shot by Aaron Gordon, who was not called for a foul, but returned
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Dyson Daniels added 18 points and Trae Young had 15 points and 10 assists for the Hawks.
Jamal Murray was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Takeaways
Nuggets: Denver set season highs with 43 assists, including 11 by Russell Westbrook, and 62.9% shooting from the field (56 of 89).
Hawks: Hunter has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games, including four in a row.
READ: NBA: Wizards snap 16-game skid, overcome Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Key moment
After trailing 45-25, the Hawks made a surge that cut Denver’s lead to 51-39. The Nuggets used two of Porter’s six first-half dunks to reclaim their momentum and led 71-48, their biggest lead of the game, at halftime.
Key stat
The Nuggets made 21 of 44 shots in the first half (61.4%). The Hawks, meanwhile, were on pace to match their worst shooting mark of the season by making 17 of 51 shots (33.3%).
Up next
Denver returns home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, and Atlanta plays at the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
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