Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, Jamal Murray also scored 31 points and the Denver Nuggets spoiled Pascal Siakam’s home debut with the Indiana Pacers with a 114-109 win on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
Jokic’s triple-double was his first ever against Indiana and his 13th of the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 14 points and Reggie Jackson scored 13 off the bench for Denver, which has won three straight on its five-game road trip.
Siakam, acquired from the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday, finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana. Myles Turner led the Pacers with 22 points, TJ McConnell scored 17, Andrew Nembhard contributed 15, Aaron Nesmith had 13 and Bennedict Mathurin finished with 11.
The Pacers played without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will also miss the next two games with a hamstring injury, coach Rick Carlisle said Tuesday. Indiana also played most of the second half without Carlisle, who was ejected early in the third quarter.
The Nuggets led by 12 after three quarters, and Jackson’s layup early in the fourth made it 95-82.
McConnell scored Indiana’s next 11 points, sparking a 21-7 run that gave the Pacers a 103-102 edge with 3:42 left. Jokic was whistled for an offensive foul, his fourth personal of the night, but a successful challenge overturned the call, and Jokic drained a 3-pointer to put Denver ahead by two points.
It was tied at 107 when Jokic scored with 1:38 left. Turner then missed a 3-pointer and Murray scored to make it 111-107.
Siakam’s putback made it 111-109 with 27.9 seconds left, and Jokic sealed the victory, dropping a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds to go.
Indiana led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but the Nuggets followed with seven straight points and got within eight of the Pacers, with the score 62-54 at the break.
Denver opened the third quarter strong and capped a 17-6 run at the free-throw line, as Carlisle picked up two technicals and Caldwell-Pope hit both foul shots.
The Nuggets continued to dominate the period and took a 93-81 lead into the fourth quarter.
Agencies via Xinhua