Second Straight Loss For Nets As They Fall To Denver Nuggets

NEW YORK (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 26 points, Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 124-111 on Sunday.

Wilson Chandler added 18 points for the Nuggets, who have won two straight games.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 22 points, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 18 points and Joe Harris tied his season-high with 16 points for the Nets, who have lost two straight.

Denver went on a 22-4 run to begin the third quarter as Brooklyn missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Chandler carried Denver in the third with 14 points as the Nuggets took a 100-84 lead into the fourth and never looked back.

Hollis-Jefferson led Brooklyn with 16 points at the half as the Nets took a 63-60 lead into the break. Brooklyn's 63 points matched a season-high for points in the first half previously done in the season opener against Indiana. Emmanuel Mudiay led Denver with 15 points at the half.

Brooklyn's 36 points in the first marked its most in an opening quarter this season.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Coach Mike Malone believes his young backcourt will be the key to success this season. "The biggest challenge for us is going to be when you have a 21-year-old backup point guard and a 20-year old starting point guard, there are going to be inconsistencies. Can we try to help them and speed up their maturation as players? Because we have big plans, we want to be a playoff team and when you have two young guards who are going through growing pains at times, it doesn't make it always easy." ... Juancho Hernangomez (mononucleosis) was out.

Nets: Coach Kenny Atkinson said DeMarre Carroll (right ankle soreness) and Quincy Acy (left groin strain) are day-to-day. Jeremy Lin (right knee) was also out. ... Timofey Mozgov has now made two 3-pointers in seven games, which is more than he totaled the previous two. ... Jacob Wiley made his NBA debut.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Visit New York on Monday. Denver then begins a six-game home stand.

Nets: Host Phoenix on Tuesday. Brooklyn then hits the road for five consecutive games.

(Copyright 2017 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)