Jokic nets 33 points to push Nuggets 125-114 over Mavericks

Nikola Jokic was very close to finish with a triple-double, but one assist left him short as the Denver Nuggets held off the Dallas Mavericks 125-114 on Friday night to open the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

The Serbian netted 33 points and added 14 rebounds and 9 assists. Jokic was almost unmistakable with 14 of 16 from the field..

Michael Porter Jr. scored 24 points, and Jamal Murray added 18 points and 13 assists for the NBA champion Nuggets, who led by 20 points in the third quarter, but Dallas upped their game late to make the final minutes interesting.

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The Mavericks lost for the first time this season as their own leader Luka Doncic finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists but also had nine turnovers. Kyrie Irving chipped in 22 points for Dallas.