Jamal Murray scores 31 points as Denver Nuggets defeat San Antonio Spurs
Saturday 29 December 2018 06:34, UK
Jamal Murray scored 31 points and Nikola Jokic had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists as the host Denver Nuggets held on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 102-99 on Friday night.
Malik Beasley scored 21 before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury for Denver, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points, DeMar DeRozan had 15 and Bryn Forbes scored 13 for the Spurs.
The Nuggets led by three after DeRozan's lay-up and driving dunk midway through the fourth quarter. Two free throws and a basket by Jokic gave Denver a 93-86 lead, but the Spurs didn't go away.
Aldridge hit a lay-up and a free throw and then fed Jakob Poeltl for a lay-up to make it 93-91 with 4:44 left.
The Nuggets got a scare when Murray fell to the floor grabbing his right leg with 4:31 left. Murray was in obvious pain but remained in the game. He then hit a 15-foot floater in the lane with 3:16 left to put Denver ahead 98-93.
DeRozan's jumper got San Antonio back within three but Forbes missed a three-pointer that would have tied it with 2:09 left.
DeRozan and Poeltl each split a pair of free throws but Jokic hit a short jumper in the lane to make it 100-97.
Jokic fouled out to put DeRozan on the line, and he hit 1-of-2 free throws to make it 100-98.
Another Denver turnover led to a Spurs fast break and two free throws for Derrick White. He hit one, but Monte Morris drained two with 7.2 seconds left to seal it.
San Antonio couldn't get a final shot off before the buzzer.
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