Jokic, Grant Lead Nuggets To A 117-104 Win Over Wizards
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had a season-high 20 rebounds and Jerami Grant added a season-best 20 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 117-104 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Jokic finished one rebound shy of his career best and scored eight points in Denver's sixth straight win.
Will Barton had 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Jamal Murray added 16 points and Mason Plumlee scored 15 for the Nuggets, who are 10-1 in November and ended a three-game home losing streak against the Wizards.
Denver held one of the NBA's prolific offenses to its second-fewest point total of the season. Washington entered the game averaging 119.1 points and had failed to score at least 100 points just once in 15 games. It needed 35 in the fourth to reach 100 this time.
Bradley Beal, the Wizards leading scorer averaging 29.6 points, was held to 14 points on 6-for-15 shooting. He was 2 of 10 from behind the 3-point line.
Jordan McRae had 21 points and Moritz Wagner and Davis Bertans each finished with 14.
The Nuggets grabbed control in the second quarter, opening a 17-point lead after Washington led 27-26 early in the period. Grant had 15 points in the second and 16 in the half as Denver took a 64-47 lead into the break.
The Nuggets pushed the lead to 20 points in the third quarter and after Washington closed within 14 midway through the fourth quarter, Barton converted a rare 4 -point play to make it 107-89.
Those were the only four points of the fourth for Barton, who was the only Denver starter to play in the quarter.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Guard Isaiah Thomas received warm applause from the crowd when he was announced as a starter. He played 12 games with the Nuggets last season. ... Washington was 1 of 16 from the 3-point line in the first half and finished 10 of 40 from behind the arc.
Nuggets: Their last home win against the Wizards was March 12, 2016. Denver outscored Washington by 24 in the fourth quarter to win by 16. ... The Nuggets weren't called for a foul in the first quarter. They picked up six in the first 2:46 of the second quarter. ... Malik Beasley scored 11 points off the bench on his 23rd birthday.
UP NEXT
Wizards: At Phoenix on Wednesday night.
Nuggets: At Sacramento on Saturday.
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