Jokic records 25th triple-double of the season as Nuggets rout Rockets

Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points, helping the Nuggets secure the season series 3–1 against Houston and claim the tiebreaker between the teams, News.Az reports, citing AP.

With the victory, Denver moved within half a game of the Rockets in the tightly contested Western Conference standings.

It was the first time since mid-November that Denver won with its opening-night lineup fully intact. The Nuggets had lost six of their previous 10 games following the NBA All-Star Game break, as head coach David Adelman managed player workloads cautiously while key contributors returned from injury.

Jokic secured his 187th career triple-double when he grabbed his 10th rebound with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter. It marked the 15th time this season that he completed a triple-double before the fourth quarter.

Houston struggled offensively, finishing just 4 of 33 from three-point range and being outscored 40–22 in the third quarter. Kevin Durant scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, recording his lowest number of field-goal attempts this season.

Denver led by six points at halftime before extending its advantage to 82–63 late in the third quarter.

Up next:

• The Rockets will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

• The Nuggets will travel to face the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.