Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads the Nuggets past the Heat 135-122

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his third straight triple-double, leading the Denver Nuggets past the Miami Heat 135-122 on Friday night.

The triple-double was Jokic’s best fifth season in the NBA.

After missing the last three games due to a concussion, Jamal Murray had 28 points and became the first player in Nuggets franchise history with 1,000 career 3-pointers.

The Heat played most of the game without Jimmy Butler, who twisted his ankle on a drive against Murray seven minutes into the game and did not return.

Denver jumped out to a 17-6 lead with 4:10 left in the first quarter as part of a 40-point first quarter effort in which it made 14 of its 20 shots. Despite struggling to get within seven in the final five minutes of the game, Miami never led and even trailed by 26 points in the second half.

Tyler Herro had a team-high 24 points and 11 assists for the Heat.

Takeaways

Heat: Miami’s fourth loss in the last five games came with the added pain of losing Butler, who is second on the Heat in scoring at 18.1 points per game.

Nuggets: While concerns about the gap between its starting five and bench remain, Denver continued its recent resurgence, winning for the sixth time in its last seven games after an 0-2 start.

Key moment

After holding an 11-point lead at halftime, the Nuggets outscored the Heat 15-4 early in the third quarter, extending their lead to 86-64.

Key statistics

Russell Westbrook continued his strong streak of late, providing a season-high 10 assists for Denver. It’s only the second time he’s recorded double-digit assists in his last 44 games.

Next

The Nuggets host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the same day the Heat continue their six-game road win at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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