Nikola Jokić had 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double this season to lead the Denver Nuggets over the Toronto Raptors 128-109 on Thursday morning.
Six other Nuggets players finished in double figures, led by rookie forward Bryce Hopkins, who came off the bench to score a career-high 18 points. Aaron Gordon added 17 points while Jamal Murray had 14 points and seven assists.
Jokić, who made 13 of his 19 shots, also had a team-high three steals.
The 19-point win was the Nuggets’ most lopsided victory of the season. They had lost two of their first three home games, with the only win coming after rallying from a 23-point deficit against the New Orleans Pelicans.
After trailing 67-64 at half-time, Denver outscored Toronto 41-15 in the third quarter on the way to building a 23-point lead. The Nuggets shot 68.2% from the field in the period, including 76.5% from inside the 3-point arc, while the Raptors missed 18 of their 23 field goal attempts.
RJ Barrett paced Toronto with 22 points, the seventh time in eight games this season he’s scored at least 20. Scottie Barnes added 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Raptors, who went 3 for 15 on 3-pointers in the second half after going 9 of 19 in the first half.
After a 3-1 start, the Raptors have lost three of their past four games.
